Chapter 319 - 316: No Retreat

Chapter 319: Chapter 316: No Retreat

He spoke with candor, meeting Shen Yue’s gaze openly without a hint of evasion, as if he truly had found nothing.

Shen Yue’s eyes darkened slightly. She watched him quietly for two breaths of time but ultimately did not press further. Instead, she gave a faint nod. "Then let’s finish going through the remaining ancient texts as quickly as possible. Don’t miss any details. Let’s see if we can find a way to break this."

"Alright," Si Muye replied. He walked back to the bookshelf, but the knuckles of the hand hanging by his side had unconsciously turned white.

The two fell into silence once more. The only sound left in the hall was the soft rustling of pages turning, yet an imperceptible tension silently permeated the air.

Shen Yue appeared intently focused on flipping through the scroll in her hands, but from the corner of her eye, she discreetly monitored Si Muye’s every move. Meanwhile, as Si Muye’s fingertips brushed over book after book, his mind was entirely fixated on the ancient text he had just hidden, his heart churning like a stormy sea. He was both shocked by the earth-shattering secret behind the prophecy and wondering whether Shen Yue had also caught a glimpse of the truth.

An unknown amount of time passed, and the waters outside the hall had taken on the pale light of dawn.

Shen Yue returned the last ancient scroll to its original place. Her fingertips lightly brushed the edge of the bookshelf, confirming she had gone through all the records and that the crucial animal skin scroll was securely hidden. Only then did she turn around. "I’ve finished reading. Let’s go."

Si Muye immediately closed the book in his hand and followed her. The two walked out of the Wizard Hall one after the other, remaining silent the whole way, each preoccupied with their own thoughts.

Meanwhile, the six people Shen Yue had dispatched to scout the edges of the Black Sea—Huang Ziyue, Bai Chaosi, Yun Lie Ting, Mu Silin, Ye Lüqi, and Gu Fangqi—had already arrived in the Black Sea domain.

The ink-black seawater surged frantically, carrying an eerie power that corrupted everything it touched. Wherever it flowed, coral withered and schools of fish died. The originally clear blue ocean was being swallowed by darkness at a visible rate.

The six of them channeled their powers, enveloping the surrounding dozens of miles of sea in their perception, their expressions incredibly solemn. Along the way, although they had performed their respective duties—cooperating tacitly to investigate the Black Sea’s movements and observing the actions of the surrounding sea clans—the clouds of doubt in their minds lingered persistently.

The first to break the silence was the most straightforward of them, Ye Lüqi. His brows furrowed tightly, the chilling aura around him gradually intensifying. "Don’t you guys find it strange? Why did Shen Yue only take Si Muye with her to the Wizard Hall? Which one of us six couldn’t have helped?"

Bai Chaosi lightly rubbed his fingertips together. A wisp of gentle power brushed over a nearby reef affected by the Black Sea in a futile attempt to inspect the situation inside the dark waters. He spoke softly, his tone laced with a hint of confusion. "She has always been measured in her actions and has her own judgment, but this time... it’s truly too abnormal."

Not only had she gone to Bright Mountain alone with Si Muye when they left the Barbaric City, but Bai Chaosi had also noticed along the way that Shen Yue’s attitude toward him was somewhat different. Even the way she looked at him had changed from before. And just now, in the hall of the Royal Palace, she had kept Si Muye by her side alone.

Gu Fangqi, who was also observant, chimed in, "Haven’t you guys noticed? Ever since Shen Yue returned from Li City this time, the way she looks at Si Muye has changed..." A couple of days ago, he had even caught her staring blankly at Si Muye.

When he pointed this out, Ye Lüqi and the others realized they had noticed it as well. They all felt that lately, although Shen Yue was extremely busy every day searching for soil and working tirelessly for the people of the Barbaric City, it seemed as if she was hiding something in her heart. This was especially obvious whenever she was interacting with Si Muye.

At first, they had thought Si Muye held a unique place in Shen Yue’s heart, which was why she would reveal such an expression every time she looked at him. But recalling Shen Yue’s resolute demeanor in the Royal Palace earlier, the doubts in their hearts grew heavier.

Mu Silin thought of Si Muye’s usually reticent but sharp-edged demeanor, then blurted out like a reckless youth, "Do you think her not letting us tag along and dispatching us all to scout the Black Sea was an excuse to get rid of us?

"I can’t help but feel... could it be that Shen Yue wants to take Si Muye as her Beast Husband? But out of pride, and fearing we might get jealous and target Si Muye, she found it hard to tell us. So, she’s creating opportunities to be alone with him?"

Mu Silin’s erratic train of thought instantly caused Huang Ziyue, Bai Chaosi, and the others to look at him, utterly speechless. Only Yun Lie Ting perked up his ears, wearing a studious expression as he listened intently. He even looked a little bewildered. He felt like he was indulging in some juicy gossip, yet he also felt somehow implicated.

Mu Silin grew flustered under their collective stare. "Why are you looking at me like that? Am I wrong?"