Chapter 278: The expert won’t let her say (2/2)
Long Feiye, it’s fine to hold hands in some cases, but you can’t just wrap our fingers together as you like! Don’t you understand what it means when two people do that?
After getting free, Han Yunxi took large strides through and into the place beyond the stone door. Long Feiye was left dumbstruck in place until Aunt Ru went past him to enter and exclaim, “Ye’er!”
Long Feiye quickly followed, only to see a large stone cavern beyond the door. Beneath the combined effects of luminous-night pearls and Violet Miasma, the entire chamber was infused with purple light. Beyond the dim and hazy smoke could be seen five separate doors leading into different directions. Their entire journey had led them to such a place!
Aunt Ru tested each of the doors and found that they all contained the same concentration of that acrid odor in the air. She subconsciously turned back to Han Yunxi, who was currently furrowing her eyebrows in thought to look at the doors. But all the detox system said was that there were no poisons here!
How were they supposed to choose between the five doors?
“Should we split up?” Aunt Ru asked.
“No good,” Long Feiye rejected the idea immediately. Though the method would save time, it was also very dangerous. “Han Yunxi, what do you think?”
After walking for an hour in silence, he’d finally spoken up. Still, Han Yunxi didn’t even look at him as she shook her head.
“I don’t know. I can’t sense any poisons.” She was still prudent about things. Though the acrid odor in the air had intensified, she couldn’t detect any poison in it. That didn’t prove the scent wouldn’t lead to corrosive poison plants, only that she hadn’t found signs of it yet. If the scent here was related to the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion, then the detox system that couldn’t even analyze the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion would have trouble analyzing poisons here as well. She silently required herself to not be led astray by anything. She had to be vigilant and back away as soon as she sensed that she was poisoned.
There were now a total of six paths: five that led before them, and the one that came from behind. Faced with unknown dangers in an unfamiliar environment, their only way out was the road behind them. In the end, they still had to make a choice. Neither Aunt Ru nor Han Yunxi could offer any proposals. Long Feiye didn’t delay, but was about to head towards the first door when a woman and two men suddenly came out from it!
Both of the men were in a sorry state, as if they’d been burned. Their clothes were torn and their hair disheveled. Though they’d managed to protect the sole woman, she looked like a mess as well. Even so, Han Yunxi recognized the trio at a glance. With his noble and profound features, tall figure and fierce air, one was Western Zhou’s crown prince, Duanmu Baiye. The other man had slanting eyebrows that nearly reached to the hair on his temples and was filled with heroic spirit. He was none other than Western Zhou’s celebrated general. Though Han Yunxi didn’t know him personally, she recognized the famous ebony bow he carried on his back. Finally, there was the woman with beautiful and charming features, wearing an icily arrogant expression. She too, carried a bow, and her entire being emanated an aura of frosty aloofness. This should be General Chu Tianyin’s2 little sister, the Chu family’s famed ice beauty, Chu Qingge3.
Duanmu Baiye and Chu Tianyin both gave a start when they saw Han Yunxi and the rest. They hadn’t expected them here. For a moment, the two groups simply stared at each other, each harboring their own thoughts as the atmosphere grew tense. It wasn’t strange to see Crown Prince Ye around after Duanmu Yao had shown up in Medical City. This crown prince was well-known for doting on his little sister and accompanying her to various places. But seeing him here of all places was merited serious thought! How did he know a place like this existed? What did he come here to do? It was a little impossible that they knew of the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion too!
Han Yunxi not only observed Duanmu Baiye, but Chu Tianyin as well. The Chu Family was an old and illustrious family of Western Zhou know for its senior generals. Everyone across Cloud Realm Continent knew this fact. Chu Tianyin was the Chu Family’s newest generation of generals and even more well-known than Mu Qingwu. His archery skills were said to be top-notch in Cloud Realm Continent. On the battlefield, a single arrow from his bow could pierce through ten soldiers in one shot.
Why did a person like him show up here with Duanmu Baiye?
While Han Yunxi was deep in thought, Long Feiye suddenly grabbed her by the hand again and pulled her behind him, as if to shield her. Western Zhou and Tianning might be allied countries through marriage, but he and Duanmu Baiye were on bad terms. Add that to the fact that Duanmu Yao’s marriage had been ruined, and Duanmu Baiye was probably nursing a grudge to boot. Moreover, this was the secret underground chambers of the Poison Sect. Both of them were here in secret, so whatever happened here wouldn’t be spread outside. There was no such thing as a Duke of Qin or a Crown Prince Ye here, just two factions on opposing sides.
Currently, Duanmu Baiye and Chu Tianyin were studying Han Yunxi and the rest as well. Compared to Chu Tianyin’s low-key attitude, Duanmu Baiye was much more aggressive. He gave Aunt Ru a cursory glance before silently telling Chu Tianyin, “Han Yunxi doesn’t know martial arts. We have higher chances of victory, so if we pin down Long Feiye together, Qingge can use those two women to test out the other four doors.”
1. Note: the mufei here doesn’t refer to Grand Concubine Yi, but his true mother from the Tang Clan.
2. Chu Tianyin (楚天隐) – Chu is a surname that means “clear, neat, suffering,” tianyin can be read as “hidden from the skies/Heavens.”
3. Chu Qingge (楚清歌) – Qingge means “clear song.”