The Portal of Wonderland

A beautiful and graceful woman also stood there. She was behind Linghu Kuan and Liu An.

Shi Mu was familiar with this female. She was Leng Yue Tong. She had disappeared from the Cloud Wing City that very day. She was staring at Liu An at the moment in a rather cold manner. Also, her pretty face seemed to be clouded with a gloomy expression.

Shi Mu couldn’t afford to think much about anything when he saw this situation. So, he whirled around, and withdrew to return.

Shi Mu had recently seized hold of those Star Stones from Di Feng’s hands. Moreover, he had rendered Di Feng severely injured in the process. He had taken this step for a good reason. But, his action must’ve ruined this man’s plan. Besides, Shi Mu hadn’t expected that he would end up bumping into him again like an inevitable enemy confrontation.

It was fortunate that Liu An and City Lord Linghu were completely absorbed in a joyous and friendly chat at the moment… Neither of them took notice of Shi Mu’s movement.

However, Shi Mu hadn’t walked far when a lovable yet loud voice spread from behind him, “Mu Shi?”

It was Leng Yue Tong. She had caught sight of the familiar silhouette when Shi Mu had flashed across the corner of the wall. So, she had cried out his name.

Shi Mu still didn’t want to stop. But then, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps behind him, and couldn’t help but force a smile in his heart. He knew that he had no option but to turn around.

“Brother Mu! It’s truly you!”

A hint of gladness bloomed across Leng Yue Tong’s face when she saw Shi Mu… The unpleasant and gloomy expression that she had on her face earlier was swept away.

“Miss Leng.” Shi Mu was left with no choice but to stop.

“Brother Mu, I couldn’t have expected that I would bump into you here. Don’t you think it’s fate that has brought us together again?” Leng Yue Tong said in a carefree manner like she would do before.

Meanwhile, Liu An was bidding farewell to Linghu Kuan. He had noticed that Leng Yue Tong had suddenly flashed away from his side and disappeared into the corner of the wall nearby. So, he hurriedly said goodbye to Linghu Kuan, and followed her.

“Miss Seven…” Liu An’s voice spread from behind Leng Yue Tong.

Then, Liu An’s eyes moved across Leng Yue Tong, and fell on Shi Mu who stood in the front… He was left stunned for a moment as a result.

“Brother Mu, you already know Vice President Liu?” Leng Yue Tong looked flabbergasted.

Shi Mu simply walked forward in a very calm and composed manner when he saw the situation. He then clenched his fist in the other hand as a sign of respect, and said, “It’s good to see you, Brother Liu. Long time no see. I know that you have been well since we had last met.”

“Haha, so it’s you, Brother Mu. How can you be here? I was looking for you!” A hint of pleasantly-surprised look peeped through Liu An’s face as he saw him. Then, he started to treat him as his younger brother.

“It seems that Brother Liu is cracking jokes. Where should I be if not here? Don’t tell me you were expecting me somewhere in the boundless sea?” Shi Mu said in a mocking manner.

“Look what you are saying… Your elder brother had gathered many people, and had instructed them to look for you everywhere after that shipwreck. However, our search had ended in vain, and we hadn’t gotten any result. You also know how grave the situation was at that time. Your elder brother had been so compelled by the circumstances that he had immediately withdrawn from that place along with many other people. But, Brother Mu seems to be nursing grievances against me in his heart. However, it can’t be blamed since it’s only human nature,” Liu An said.

“It seems that Vice-President Liu was once a treacherous villain who had betrayed his benefactor,” Leng Yue Tong who stood to one side didn’t wait for Shi Mu’s reply, and blurted out.

“Hehe, I’m so overwhelmed with elation that I almost forgot to introduce you two to each other. This is Miss Leng — Leng Yue Tong. She’s the youngest daughter of the Head of our Cult. So, people call her Seventh Miss Leng,” Liu An said with laughter. He acted in a manner that made it seem as if he hadn’t heard her sarcastic words.

“Vice-President Liu, you don’t have to take trouble to introduce us to each other. I and Brother Mu already know each other. Brother Mu, it seems to me that you are also quite familiar with Vice-President Liu. Am I right?” Leng Yue Tong turned to look at Shi Mu, and asked.

“We’re not just familiar… We two are sworn friends for life and death. We had embarked on a journey from the Eastern Continent together,” Liu An said.

Shi Mu only flashed a smile when he heard these words. But, he didn’t speak anything.

“I hadn’t expected that Vice-president Liu can also have such a close friend. This has indeed broadened this young girl’s horizon,” Leng Yue Tong said.

“Miss Leng, I and Brother Liu are acquainted with each other for quite a long time now. Brother Liu, you don’t have to blame yourself. I had been familiar with the situation prevailing at that time. You and I were truly lucky to have escaped such a perilous situation. So, we should rejoice at our success.” Shi Mu said.

“Hehe, Brother Mu is trying to look on the bright side of things. Come to think of it… we had become fast friends in our first meeting. And, we have met here again after all this time as if we have been brought together by the decree of destiny. We might as well drink a cup of wine together. What do you think?” Liu An said.

Shi Mu wanted to turn him down. But, he felt strange when he realized that Liu An hadn’t mentioned anything about Di Feng’s matter. Even so, he refused to believe that Liu An didn’t know about that matter. After all, Di Feng didn’t hold a low status in the Eastern Dark Moon Cult. Moreover, this matter was associated with the Star Stones.

Suddenly, the image of Liu An and Linghu Kuan laughing together whilst talking with each other merrily flashed across Shi Mu’s mind. This allowed him to assume that these two men were plotting something again. The auction that Zhong Xiu was in charge of was around the corner. And, she didn’t want any kind of mishap this time.

So, he should accept Liu An’s invitation. And then, he should try to pull Liu An into a conversation through which he could understand his hidden intention.

“Well, it’s better to accept your invitation obediently than to decline it courteously,” Shi Mu thought for a moment, and then nodded in agreement. Then, both of them walked towards a three-story restaurant that wasn’t far from there.

Leng Yue Tong thought for a moment when she saw them walking away. Then, she also followed them.

Shi Mu and Liu An had barely taken seats in a certain private room on the third floor when Leng Yue Tong also pulled a chair and sat down by Shi Mu’s side.

“Miss Seven, would you like to order food?” Liu An asked.

“You can check on the list and order anything.” Leng Yue Tong replied.

“Are you avoiding any particular food item?” Liu An asked again.

“I’m not on any dietary restriction. So, you feel free to order anything that you want to eat.” Leng Yue Tong replied.

“It seems that only Brother Mu can order food,” Liu An looked at Shi Mu, and said with a cheerful smile.

Shi Mu then dropped all formalities, and called a waiter. He then ordered some side food and drinks at will.

The waiter returned after a short time, and served them the food and drink that they had ordered.

The conversation between Shi Mu and Liu An had already become awkward. One minute they would talk, and the other they would quieten down.

“Brother Mu, we haven’t been in touch with each other for only a few years. But, I can see that your cultivation has made a tremendous growth. This is truly a big surprise for your Elder Brother. It seems that you’ve done a wonderful job on the Western Continent over this period of time.” Liu An said.

“Hehe, whatever I have achieved here so far is by sheer good luck.” Shi Mu took a sip of wine, and then said.

“Brother Mu, you don’t have to be so modest. You had been able to escape that disastrous situation when we had been sailing. So, what kind of difficult situation can stop you now?” Liu An said.

“Brother Mu went through a lot of hard work here unlike Vice-President Liu who was directly promoted to such a high and glorious position as soon as he had set foot here. So, Vice-President Liu is so elated with his success.” Leng Yue Tong interjected with a few words.

“Really? I wonder how many encounters Brother Mu has had so far. Also, how did you come across Miss Leng Seven?” Liu An’s complexion remained the same as before.

“Brother Liu has spoken discreetly this time. I haven’t had any encounters. As for meeting Miss Leng… the two of us had participated in the escort mission of the Heavenly Wu Chamber of Commerce in the Peaceful Sun City. I got the chance to know Miss Leng during that period.” Shi Mu briefly recounted how he had gotten acquainted with her.

“Hey, who doesn’t know about the enormous risk involved in escorting goods in the Western Continent. A little carelessness on your part, and you may end up being robbed. And, the plunderers won’t even spare your life after they have robbed your things. But, Brother Mu can enjoy a high position and great wealth if he comes to us. So, why would he choose do this kind of painstaking work?” Leng Yue Tong said.

“Right… the Western Continent is occupied by demon beasts. But, this area of the eastern region fortunately seems okay. As for the several other regions… they have almost turned into the world of the demon beasts. Those regions can be described as places where danger lurks on every corner. So, it would be better if Miss Seven doesn’t participate in such a painstaking work in the future. This would avoid making the Head anxious.” Liu An said.

“Vice-President Liu already has his hands full with several matters and responsibilities. But, you still have time to look after this young lady. Whether I want to participate or quit in the future… Is it necessary to take Vice-President Liu’s approval for everything?” Leng Yue Tong said.

“I’m only concerned about Miss Seven’s safety. You are free to participate or exit as per your wish. I’ll never interfere,” Liu An said.

“By the way… Miss Leng, I had been occupied in some important matter when our caravan was being robbed in the Cloud Wing City. So, I had happened to evade this disaster at the last moment. But, I later returned to look for you only to find that the whole inn was already submerged in the aftermath of a disaster. All escorts had been killed. I wonder how Miss Leng had managed to escape this peril.” Shi Mu didn’t wait for her to speak anything again, and fired a question.

“Don’t mention it. I would’ve perished if I hadn’t had some life-saving magic charms with me at that crucial time,” Leng Yue Tong recounted the incident that had occurred that day little by little.

“I hadn’t expected that such an incident would take place after I had left the inn. But, how has Miss Leng arrived at the conclusion that the techniques that those plunderers had displayed at that time stem from our Dark Moon Cult?” Shi Mu asked this question on purpose. Simultaneously, the corners of his eyes kept a close watch on Liu An’s expression.

However, Liu An was still acting in the same light and relaxed manner as before. In fact, his eyes got smeared with a deeply concerned look when he heard that Leng Yue Tong had been attacked by an Earth-ranked carrion tiger at that time. It seemed that he was indeed unfamiliar with this matter.

“I’ve been in the Dark Moon Cult since I was a child. So, I’m naturally aware of all the techniques that the disciples of my Cult would generally use. It’s simply impossible for an average person to be able to summon such a large group of Dead Spirit creatures. Therefore, the appearance of that woman had gotten imprinted in my mind very clearly.” Leng Yue Tong said.

“Oh? I wonder what kind of a woman can display the techniques of our Cult?” Liu An asked.

“That woman’s height was almost the same as me. She wore a red robe. She didn’t appear very old, but she was surprisingly already a Moon-ranked magician. I wonder if Vice-President Liu has seen this woman,” Leng Yue Tong said.

“I guess I’ve never seen such a woman before due to my limited knowledge and ignorance.” Liu An shook his head.

The three of them continued to talk about that incident. Liu An sighed multiple times during this discussion. Shi Mu might have believed that Liu An truly knew nothing about this incident if he hadn’t gotten his hands on the clues before and hadn’t made himself psychologically prepared in advance.

However, it was obvious that Shi Mu wouldn’t go all out to unmask Liu An right now.

The depth of this person’s scheming was far beyond the imagination of an ordinary person. Therefore, Shi Mu didn’t want to mention this matter of his own accord as long as Liu An didn’t think of approaching Zhong Xiu for those two Star Stones.

Another topic gradually got pulled into their discussion, and their thread of conversation started to revolve around that sea journey. Liu An kept a very grateful attitude towards Shi Mu during these talks.

“I still remember Brother Mu’s timely reminder to us at the beginning of the voyage. The people of my Dark Moon Cult wouldn’t have reached here if you hadn’t warned us at that time. I would like to say that Brother Mu is still a savior for me and others. Come, let’s raise a toast to your precious help.” Liu An raised the wine-glass, and said.

“Brother Liu is very modest. I must tell you that I couldn’t have reached the Western Continent if it weren’t for Brother Liu.” Shi Mu also picked up the wine-glass, and both men bumped their glasses once. Then, they drained the glass in one gulp.

“Haha, that means the two of us have truly been brought together by fate.” Liu An had drunk a lot of wine by now. So, the expression in his eyes looked somewhat blurred.

Leng Yue Tong seemed to be quite interested in the maritime experience of these two men. So, she kept Shi Mu tangled in her web of questions for a while. In fact, even their confrontation with the sea beasts had aroused her curiosity. Her persistence pushed Shi Mu over the edge… so much so that he didn’t know how to react now.

“By the way… Brother Mu, how had you escaped from those two beasts?” Liu An suddenly asked.

“I had hidden beneath a farther deck. So, I hadn’t received any severe injury. That deck had later drifted along the current, and I had eventually floated to the shore without even noticing.” Shi Mu said.

“Two beasts’ war? Brother Mu, tell me about this. I’m all ears!” Leng Yue Tong looked very curious at this moment.

“I think Brother Liu can explain this matter in a more appropriate way… I had been on the brink of losing consciousness at that time. So, I’m also not very clear about that incident.” Shi Mu said.

Liu An didn’t refuse either. He immediately turned into a chatterbox. An unceasing river of words started to gush out of his mouth as he began to narrate the story.

The feast was over. And, it had seemed from Liu An’s talks that he and Shi Mu were very old friends who had happened to meet again today after a long separation. Both men had had a friendly chat over a cup of wine. They continued to talk about random topics for some time.

At least Leng Yue Tong seemed to believe Liu An’s words…

Shi Mu took his leave after some time since he had some important matters to take care of.

Leng Yue Tong saw Shi Mu leaving, but she didn’t pursue him.

However, Shi Mu had no idea what had happened after his departure… Leng Yue Tong had also gotten up, and had acted as if she couldn’t see Liu An around. She had then left the restaurant, and swaggered away.