Chapter 219 - 218: Looking for Me?

Chapter 219: Chapter 218: Looking for Me?

’That guy is definitely up to no good!’

Sun Yuting looked down the mountain. A figure was quietly walking away. From the undisguised malice in that recent glare alone, she knew exactly who was in the woods.

"Aren’t you worried Zhao Deyi might try to sabotage you from the shadows?"

She looked over at Wu Chen, who was several yards away, concentrating on learning how to pitch a tent with a group of Silver Wolf Captains.

’Zhao Deyi wouldn’t dare make a move on me, so his target is definitely Wu Chen.’

’And if I could feel that glare, Wu Chen must have noticed it too.’

"Let him."

Wu Chen replied nonchalantly, showing little concern.

’A villain should at least have some brains. How capable can a man be if he can’t even hide his own malice?’

So Wu Chen wasn’t the least bit concerned about what tricks Zhao Deyi might pull, nor did he care whether the man planned to act here in the mountains or during the next mission.

But Wu Chen knew that his own trap for Zhao Deyi was about to be sprung.

He looked up, sizing up the Hidden Wind Valley Elder who was sitting quietly not far away.

’His constitution isn’t weak, and his strength isn’t bad.’

’But he’s not what I’d call truly strong, either.’

This was Wu Chen’s internal assessment of the Hidden Wind Valley Elder.

But the Elder’s injuries suggested that besides Zhao Deyi having some strength himself, he must have had Demon Suppression Guards desperately fighting to protect him.

Wu Chen didn’t know when Hidden Wind Valley’s final counterattack would come, but he figured it would be within the next few days.

When that happened, the Elder certainly wouldn’t just sit and wait for death, and a large number of their remaining masters would surely try to break out of the mountains.

’All I have to do then is pretend to be too tied up dealing with the others to give chase, letting the Elder escape down the mountain. I’m guessing that Hidden Wind Valley Elder would be more than happy to take the head of Zhao Deyi—the man who injured him—on his way out.’

’Then, I can catch up and take down the Elder myself.’

’It would count as avenging Zhao Deyi.’

’Who knows, the faction behind Zhao Deyi might even have to thank me for it!’

In that short time, several sturdy tents had been pitched on a flat patch of ground.

Wu Chen picked up his saber and stood, volunteering to take watch in the woods to prevent any Hidden Wind Valley stragglers from escaping down the mountain and causing unnecessary trouble.

But just as he started to move, the other Silver Wolf Captains exchanged a look and darted past him.

"Lord Wu, you can just rest here. Leave the watch to us."

The speaker was the shorter Silver Wolf Captain called Fang, who had ridden in the cart with them.

As he spoke, he looked at Wu Chen and jerked his chin toward Sun Yuting. Then the group quickly moved over thirty yards away and spread out, leaving the two of them with plenty of space.

’These guys...’

Seeing the area clear out, leaving only him and Sun Yuting by the tents, Wu Chen shook his head with a wry smile.

’It’s not like I don’t understand what Fang meant. He was telling me to go win the girl over.’

’But in my opinion, it’s not that simple.’

’Sun Yuting’s friendliness and affection throughout the journey, as I see it, are just a form of recruitment.’

’So, Sun Yuting doesn’t just represent herself, but the entire faction behind her.’

’A Leakless Realm expert has already entered the ranks of first-class masters. Anyone with half a brain knows that if you can’t befriend such a person, you should never make an enemy of them.’

’Unless you’re a brainless fool like Zhao Deyi, who acts purely on whims.’

’So in my view, her friendly demeanor throughout this trip might just be an act.’

’It’s just that, under the tutelage of the powerful faction behind her, her act is so good that I can’t see through it, making me think she’s just a simple, naive girl.’

’So when you reluctantly give in, thinking you’ve won her over, it might actually be her who has won *you* over.’

’It’s hard to tell who’s the hunter and who’s the prey.’

Of course, Wu Chen quickly dismissed the thought. He had no desire to imagine her as that complicated or sinister.

Still, he kept his distance, walked to his own tent, and sat down cross-legged, laying his saber across his lap.

He had no intention of interacting with Sun Yuting more than necessary.

He simply waited in silence for Hidden Wind Valley to make its final move.

"Captain Sun, by the way, why are we pitching tents?"

After a long silence, Wu Chen, who had been contemplating the mission, suddenly realized something was off.

It would be understandable if Zhao Deyi and his men were pitching tents to rest; they were injured and had no escort to take them back down the mountain to the Demon Suppression Bureau.

But his own group were all at least at the Mid Stage of the Organ Refining Realm. Needless to say, their bodies were strong.

Looking up, he saw the weather was clear. It was a bit humid and stuffy in the mountains, but the conditions could hardly be called harsh.

And even if they were, his group could certainly endure it. So why go to all the trouble of pitching tents?

On the way here, Sun Yuting had only said they needed to pitch tents and camp for a few days, without offering an explanation.

That was why, a moment ago, he’d told everyone to hurry up and pitch the tents—to change the subject and avoid her pestering.

Now that he was sitting quietly, he realized something was off.

’Our constitutions aren’t weak. We could just find a clean spot and sit for a few nights. Why go through all this trouble?!’

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that."

Sun Yuting, who was also sitting quietly in front of her tent, heard Wu Chen’s question and explained listlessly,

"This area looks fine during the day, but once night falls, the mountain winds are no joke. Someone with a weak constitution could be killed by the exposure."

"What kind of wind is that powerful?"

"Well, it’s not exactly wind. It’s more accurate to call it earth qi."

"Earth qi?"

Wu Chen mulled over the term, puzzled. It was another name he had never heard before.

"Mhm, earth qi. How should I put it... well, it’s a good thing for Martial Artists who practice body tempering."

Sun Yuting said, "But for other Martial Artists who don’t know the proper method, they might not be able to withstand a single night of it."

She gave a brief explanation, then yawned, her gaze turning vacant as she stared into the distance to pass the boring hours of their watch.

But she quickly sensed something was wrong. An intense, burning gaze was locked onto her face!

She snapped out of her daze and looked over. Who else could be the source of that gaze but Wu Chen?

Sun Yuting pouted in resignation. ’He’s definitely not taking this opportunity to ogle me.’ A moment’s thought was all it took for her to realize he must be curious about the body-tempering Martial Arts she had just mentioned.

"I hope Captain Sun won’t mind the trouble of explaining this Hidden Wind Valley martial art that uses earth qi for body tempering to this subordinate."

Wu Chen said to Sun Yuting, who had just snapped back to reality, offering a polite, cupped-fist salute.

He was extremely interested in a martial art that used such a destructive force like earth qi to temper the body.

’Of course!’

Sun Yuting knew it.

’I had to pester him relentlessly the entire trip just to get a few words out of him; otherwise, he’d just ignore me completely.’

’For a moment there, it even made me doubt my own looks.’

’But the moment martial arts were mentioned, his eyes would burn with passion, he’d take the initiative to ask questions, and his expression would betray a barely suppressed urgency, as if he wanted to pounce on me right then and there to figure it all out.’

She lightly stroked her cheek and sighed.

’Sometimes I really want to crack this guy’s head open and see what’s inside!’

[Deep Red]: You called?

’But... are you asking me for a favor now...?’

Sun Yuting’s eyes immediately curved into crescents. She knew she had inadvertently found his weak spot.

She gave Wu Chen a mischievous smile. "Call me ’sis,’ and I’ll tell you everything."

"..."

The corner of Wu Chen’s mouth twitched. He tried to say it a few times, but he was ultimately too proud; the word wouldn’t come out.

In the end, he could only give up. The fire in his eyes died down, and he seemed to lose all interest in Sun Yuting.

He averted his gaze from Sun Yuting’s lovely face, turning to look toward the giant boulder on the mountain peak, his eyes locking onto the withered old man sitting cross-legged there.

’If you won’t tell me...’

’...it’s just a matter of finding out sooner or later.’