Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1430 - 1423: Infiltrating the Inside

Chapter 1430: Chapter 1423: Infiltrating the Inside

"Who are these people?" Dangyang Wu’s gaze focused on Cheng Ziang and the two others, his eyes showing suspicion.

"Oh, they were sent by my father to protect me. Without them, I probably would have been killed long ago," Yichuan Ying explained calmly.

"Oh?"

Her explanation did not seem to convince Dangyang Wu. He squinted, sizing up Cheng Ziang and his group closely. All three of them were wearing hoods, and particularly, Feng was even covering his face, which looked somewhat odd.

"I am Shadow Edict, the Shadow Guard by the master’s side," Cheng Ziang stepped forward to block his view and spoke coldly.

"Shadow Guard, Yichuan Hong actually sends a Shadow Guard to protect his daughter," muttered Dangyang Wu.

Because he had integrated the memories of the Shadow Edict, Cheng Ziang’s Kyushu accent had finally become less awkward and even carried a bit of a Yin State accent, which Dangyang Wu could still discern.

Thus, he no longer hesitated but smiled and nodded, saying, "Since you are Miss Yichuan’s mansion soldiers, then come along. Though you are in my humble abode, I still ask you to protect your lady well."

"It is only natural," said Cheng Ziang, bowing.

"Ah Ling!" Dangyang Wu no longer troubled Yichuan Ying and others but called out gently without turning his head.

"Present, father," Dangyang Ling stepped forward and bowed respectfully in response.

"Take Miss Yichuan to the mansion for some rest. Know your duties while at home, understood?" Dangyang Wu’s warning was implicit.

"Yes, I will heed father’s teachings," Dangyang Ling, frightened into a cold sweat, quickly nodded in agreement.

As he watched Dangyang Ling escort Yichuan Ying and her party into the mansion, Dangyang Wu called his own Shadow Guard and then whispered, "Do you think he looks like a Shadow Guard?"

"He doesn’t seem like a Cultivator, but my intuition tells me those three are very dangerous," the Shadow Guard responded in a low voice.

"Not like a Cultivator..." Dangyang Wu’s gaze sharpened as he pondered, "Could it be, the Nine Streams?"

"It’s possible," answered the Shadow Guard.

"Hmph, not surprising." After thinking it over, Dangyang Wu finally reconciled himself with a hum and no longer doubted.

Then, he said to the Shadow Guard, "Take my token to Linshui and invite Lord Yichuan here. I want him to explain to me in person what exactly is going on."

"Yes," the Shadow Guard nodded and, unable to hold back, asked, "Superior Lord, should we inform the Zixia Clan about this matter..."

"Not yet. The fewer people know about this, the better," said Dangyang Wu.

"Understood, I will take care of it right away!" The Shadow Guard nodded and then quickly disappeared from Dangyang Wu’s sight.

As he watched the Shadow Guard vanish, Dangyang Wu looked towards the mansion gates, squinting his eyes and muttering, "Dual Dao Nine Schools, which of the Nine Streams could they be, could it be the lower three?"

After being lectured by Dangyang Wu, Dangyang Ling became much more subdued. Although still somewhat resentful in his heart, Dangyang Ling still led them calmly to their rooms in the mansion.

"Thank you, Brother Ling," Yichuan Ying said, nodding satisfactorily once they reached the room, then she turned back purposely to address Dangyang Ling.

"You’re welcome!" Hearing this address, Dangyang Ling was furious but helpless, could only clench his teeth and force a smile as he spoke.

Ah is a term of endearment in Kyushu language meant for those close to oneself. The accurate pronunciation should be "er," such as "Er Ling" instead of "Ah Ling," but when spoken quickly together, it sounds very much like "Ah Ling."

From this inference, siblings can also use this term, with brothers being addressed as "Ah Ge" pronounced "Er Ge" and sisters as "Ah Mei" pronounced "Er Mei."

The reason Yichuan Ying addressed Dangyang Ling this way was not because of their close relationship, but purely to irritate him. After all, being called intimately by someone you disdain is an uncomfortable feeling for anyone.

Cheng Ziang and his companions were arranged in the room next to Yichuan Ying, with doors connecting the interiors. As guards of the Yichuan Clan, they naturally could not leave the object of their protection at will, so Dangyang Ling was also happy with this arrangement, too lazy to bother reassigning their rooms.

After seeing off Dangyang Ling and his servants, Yichuan Ying finally breathed a sigh of relief, then her expression turned fearful. Cheng Ziang asked Feng to guard the door and sat beside her to comfort her, "You did well!"

"Dangyang Wu seems to be going to call Father to come to Green Village," Yichuan Ying said anxiously.

"Is that bad?" Cheng Ziang shrugged as he spoke.

"Of course it’s bad, if Father comes, wouldn’t you be exposed? You are not really a ’Shadow Edict,’" Yichuan Ying said worriedly.

"Don’t worry, we have our own ways to escape. We won’t abandon anyone easily, including you," Cheng Ziang reassured her.

Hearing his words, Yichuan Ying seemed slightly reassured, but soon sighed deeply again, her eyebrows drooping, looking quite dispirited.

"What’s wrong?" Cheng Ziang asked caringly.

"I don’t know; I’m a bit scared to face Father..." Yichuan Ying sighed deeply, her voice filled with worry, "Even though I previously agreed to help you, facing my own clan, I inevitably feel conflicted."

"I understand," Cheng Ziang said as he placed his hand gently over hers, comforting her softly, "I understand how you feel. Not everyone can calmly betray their own family; you have indeed been put in a difficult position."

"Once I betray the Yichuan Clan, I’ll truly be alone. I worry..." Yichuan Ying looked at him, hesitating to continue.

"Don’t worry, we will take good care of you. I give you my word," Cheng Ziang declared, looking into her eyes solemnly.

"Thank you..." Tears almost started flowing from Yichuan Ying’s eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, stop feeding her with motivational words," Hu Daoke, who was standing nearby, grew increasingly uneasy as he watched their intimate gaze, feeling a sense of crisis, so he took the initiative to interrupt their conversation.

"Don’t forget who misses you the most," Hu Daoke reminded Cheng Ziang in Chinese at the end.

"I know," Cheng Ziang replied, lips pursed as he nodded.

"What are you talking about? I don’t understand," said Yichuan Ying, who did not understand Chinese, asking curiously.

"It’s our language, just some personal matters..." Cheng Ziang said, subtly moving his hand away.

Though he acted naturally, Yichuan Ying still felt a shift in his mood, especially when she could no longer feel the warmth of his hand, which left her with a sense of loss.

"To return to our previous topic," Cheng Ziang paused briefly then asked in a more serious tone, "I told him I was a ’Shadow Guard,’ and Dangyang Wu didn’t doubt it at all."

"He might have thought you were part of the Nine Streams," Yichuan Ying explained.

"Nine Streams?" Cheng Ziang instinctively paused.

"Yes, Nine Streams is..." Yichuan Ying began, ready to explain.

"Uh, no need to explain, I know," Cheng Ziang interrupted, waving his hand.

"But I’m curious," he paused again and asked, "Aren’t the great noble families not fond of the Nine Streams? Why didn’t he doubt it at all when I said I was from the Nine Streams?"

"Well, although they are all from aristocratic families, not every family looks down on the Nine Streams," Yichuan Ying thought for a moment and explained, "The really powerful aristocrats despise the Nine Streams because they have sufficient resources to cultivate Dual Dao masters, and they generally are only interested in functional Nine Streams. Only those less powerful families accept the Nine Streams, trying to find shortcuts."

Saying this, she revealed a bitter expression, lowering her head as she spoke, "For instance, the three major families in West Outer Heaven are those lesser aristocracies, for us, maybe the Nine Streams isn’t such a bad thing..."

"Actually, you also have many Dual Dao masters, quite formidable in West Outer Heaven," Cheng Ziang comforted her.

Yet, despite his words, Cheng Ziang couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread regarding the strength of the Kyushu noble families. If it were as Yichuan Ying said, then Kyushu must be filled with cultivators, harboring numerous Dual Dao masters within their gates.