Chapter 113: The Dishonest Woman

The carriage’s detection range extended to thirty kilometers, though it only provided a vague, blurred overview. Xinying was unfamiliar with the specific energy signature of Yan Lingji, making it impossible to lock onto the target quickly; thus, she had to scan slowly.

[Commander, I have located the crystal prison in the mountain cave.]

There were many secret outposts outside Xinzheng City; otherwise, Xinying would have detected her long ago.

"Good! But make sure you don't let anything slip!" Lin Shu cautioned, still uneasy.

[As you command, my King. Rest assured.] Knowing the Commander’s intentions, Xinying found it difficult to report back, and she had no choice but to keep it hidden from her close friend, Shaosiming.

With his two wives and daughter already in deep meditation, Lin Shu quietly slipped out of the inner hall.

"Ah! Your Majesty!" The carriage drivers, Zhuanhun and Miepo, jumped to their feet in shock as the King suddenly appeared behind them.

"Shh," Lin Shu pressed a finger to the two young girls' lips. "Don't be so loud. Go back to sleep and continue your cultivation. Tell the others not to exit the carriage for any reason."

"As you command!" The sisters breathed a sigh of relief, having feared the King might have had designs on them. The two sisters were not unattractive, but their deathly, pale complexions were unsettling. Lin Shu had no interest in them; otherwise, he never would have assigned them as carriage drivers.

Inside the carriage, not only were the Six Sword Slaves cultivating, but a thousand knights were also diligently practicing the Luo Wang body-tempering technique. Xinying did not provide them with extra energy, but thanks to the carriage’s amplification, their cultivation speed was doubled, with those having superior talent progressing even faster.

As they drew closer to the target, Lin Shu grew tense. "Xinying, tell me, what should I do? Should I rescue her in exchange for something, or just save her for the sake of it?"

[My King, will you listen to me anyway?]

Lin Shu shook his head with a bitter smile. "Probably not."

[Then don't ask. I know exactly what you're thinking.] Xinying did not broadcast the high-level imagery to Lin Shu, or he might not have hesitated at all.

"Fine, then we'll do it your way," Lin Shu nodded helplessly. He had previously promised not to pay too much attention to this little enchantress, but now, here he was!

[What did I even say?] Xinying was completely bewildered.

Inside the secret cave, there were no guards at the entrance, but several hidden sentries were concealed throughout the area.

[Commander, shall I eliminate them?]

"Oh, Xinying, if you want to take them out, go ahead. If you're asking me, just drain their excess energy!" These soldiers weren't exactly virtuous, but they held no personal grudge against him.

[As you command!] Without a direct order to kill, Xinying abandoned that plan.

The sentries were hidden in earthen holes or trees, invisible even at close range, and their own vision was limited to only a few dozen meters. When the carriage was within a few hundred meters, it began to drift silently, and after a shimmer of light, it blended perfectly into the surrounding mountain scenery.

"Ah?" The sentries were caught off guard, their mouths covered, their bodies going limp until they fell into a death-like stupor, never knowing what hit them. Within a minute, the sentries were neutralized, and the near-invisible carriage arrived at the cave entrance. The stone door was disguised with grass, trees, and rock-like textures; it would have been impossible to spot without close inspection.

"What a pity, I missed the scene where Wushuang Gui comes to save her," Lin Shu remarked. "But that's for the best; I'd rather not do that monster any favors."

Wushuang Gui was tall and powerful, with strength that could topple mountains and skin impenetrable by steel. Yet, in the end, he was repurposed into a half-mechanical beast. A creature neither man nor ghost would be better off dead. With his size, no woman in the Seven Kingdoms could withstand him. Even Mei Sanniang of the Armor-Clad Sect had been too terrified of her senior brother, Dian Qing, to dare such a thing.

[Commander, shall I blast it open or slice through it?] Xinying reminded her daydreaming master.

Lin Shu shook his head. "Xinying, let's dig in from behind the mountain, directly into the water container. And remember to supply me with oxygen!" Lin Shu could only hold his breath for about ten minutes.

[As you command, Commander. I will pump liquid oxygen into the water.]

The carriage floated away and bumped against the mountain wall on the other side.

"Hm? Did the mountain rock just move?" The small commander stood up immediately, but everything looked the same, and there was nothing to be seen. "Fill the water tank!" After checking the hourglass, he focused intently on the mermaid inside the massive crystal. Even after countless viewings, he couldn't help but look again, though the crystal was only semi-transparent, obscuring the most important parts.

As the water level rose, Yan Lingji hurriedly took a few extra breaths of air. Born with a natural Fire Spirit constitution, she could absorb the fire energy between heaven and earth, which was the only reason she had survived in the liquid; any ordinary person would have already succumbed.

"What is that?" Yan Lingji couldn't see the wall behind her, but she felt as if something was watching her.

*Crack.* It was a faint sound—the sound of shattering.

"Sigh, I must be overthinking it," Yan Lingji thought, closing her eyes with a bitter smile as no water leaked out. In truth, a hole had already been broken in the crystal tank, and Lin Shu was now standing right behind her.

"Hey! Why aren't you wearing any clothes?"

What? Yan Lingji panicked and turned around! "No! You—who are you? How did you get in here?" Yan Lingji hugged her chest and crouched down, trying her best not to be exposed.

Lin Shu was wearing a large diving mask, making him unrecognizable. He was busy observing the scenery and had no interest in small talk. After a minute, Yan Lingji confirmed she wasn't hallucinating; this was a man, a young man with shallow internal power!

"How did you get in? Was it him? Tell Bai Yifei to stop playing these games!" Calming herself, Yan Lingji immediately thought of the cold, arrogant Marquis of Blood. Besides him, no one else had such methods or schemes.

"My dear lady, I don't know who Bai Yifei is! I don't even know how I got in here! But really, why aren't you wearing any clothes?" Lin Shu looked blank, finding it difficult to breathe and speak.

"Bastard! Go to hell!" Regardless of the exposure, Yan Lingji jumped up and kicked at the annoying diving mask.

*Thud.* Lin Shu was stunned and forgot to block, nearly passing out from the impact.

"Ah! What's happening? Impossible! How can this be?" Yan Lingji had just begun to smile when suddenly, her limbs refused to obey her.

Lin Shu, having recovered, was also bewildered as the enchantress suddenly embraced him.

"Damn it! You little temptress, what are you doing? Let go of me!"

Yan Lingji was on the verge of tears; she truly didn't want to be holding this wretched man. "It's not... it's not me..." She struggled with all her might, but it was useless!

Lin Shu smiled, a very serious smile. "Haha! How shameless of you! You're even kissing my face. You clearly want to seduce me, so why the pretense?"

"Hmmph! I've seen plenty of little harlots like you, sister!"

After laughing, Lin Shu didn't hold back, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"No... I didn't... I really don't want to hold you, you bastard!"

"Don't touch me, get your hands off—"

The little enchantress was crying in frustration, forcing Lin Shu to stop his hands.

"Hmph! You aren't wearing anything and you're clinging to me—isn't this exactly what you wanted? Stop pretending to be pure! You've been with Tianze and Bai Yifei; I'll give you one chance... after this, I'll take you out of here."

Sighing lightly, Lin Shu felt conflicted. He admitted he was aroused, but he wanted to know the truth: had this little harlot really been with Tianze or Bai Yifei? Being a "second-hand" man was not his hobby, and he was no Cao Cao!

"Heh! You really did come here for me!" Everything clicked. The clever Yan Lingji understood: this bastard was behind it all!

Lin Shu frowned; why were people today so dishonest?

"Just tell me! What did you do with them, and for how long?" The barrage of questions made even Lin Shu blush.

"You damn bastard, I'll bite you to death!"

Unfortunately, Xinying forced Yan Lingji’s mouth shut, turning her attempt to bite into a kiss.

"Haha! You women are so dishonest. I won't ask anymore. Let me check you myself to see if you're still a maiden or a married woman!"

Lin Shu had studied the techniques of Luna and Yan Fei, and often checked Shaosiming, so he placed two fingers on her pulse point.

"Huh! How is this possible? You weren't with Tianze? Bai Yifei didn't touch you either?" The result was unexpected—this little enchantress was still a maiden!

He... actually...

Yan Lingji didn't know if she felt happy or blessed, and she choked on the water and fainted.

"Eh?"

"Sigh, Xinying, eliminate them and shatter the crystal!"

*Boom!*

*Clatter!*

Dozens of elite guards heard a loud roar and were instantly pulverized. Within a few breaths, the crystal tank, the liquid, and the dozens of guards had all vanished.

The pale beauty lay in his arms with blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, making Lin Shu feel quite guilty. He had truly only intended to make a fair trade, never expecting this little enchantress to still be a maiden.

"Fill in the cave and let's go!" Fortunately, the carriage was soundproof and shockproof, so Lin Shu wasn't worried about being heard.