Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1590 - 1583: Encountering a Powerful Enemy

Chapter 1590: Chapter 1583: Encountering a Powerful Enemy

"You Kyushu people are really strange, always trying to explain the unknown with your own theories," Cheng Ziang sneered expressionlessly.

"What do you mean?" Ah Si asked, puzzled.

"It means nothing. You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Anyway, I’m not some Nascent Soul, just an ordinary person. If I were a Nascent Soul, I wouldn’t be so unlucky," Cheng Ziang said, shaking his head.

"Well, that’s true. I’ve never seen a Nascent Soul capsize in a gutter like this," Ah Si said with a smile, seemingly convinced by Cheng Ziang’s words.

"You’ve seen a Nascent Soul?" Cheng Ziang asked curiously.

"Um... I’ve heard of them..." Ah Si hesitated, then tilted her head and said.

"Then how did you conclude that I am one?" Cheng Ziang squinted and asked.

"Is it that difficult?" Ah Si appeared unmoved but said with a bitter smile, "Just like you know that it’s the sun that rises during the day, it’s common sense."

"The Sun?" Cheng Ziang glanced upwards, then said expressionlessly, "We also call it the Yellow Dwarf Star."

"What star?" Ah Si blinked, playfully asking.

"Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained, it’s an astronomical term," Cheng Ziang said with a dismissive shrug.

"You’re always saying weird stuff," Ah Si stared at him, some displeasure in her tone.

"That means I know a lot," Cheng Ziang said.

"Then you should teach me," Ah Si said.

"Is that necessary?" Cheng Ziang raised an eyebrow and asked.

"Of course, we are good friends," Ah Si said seriously, clenching her fist.

"We’ve only known each other for two days, including yesterday," Cheng Ziang said.

"But..." Ah Si opened her mouth, making a sound, then quickly realized she was about to spill the beans and promptly shut her mouth.

She brooded for a while before speaking in dissatisfaction, "I am, after all, the person who saved your life."

"I am grateful for your life-saving grace, but I really can’t repay you right now," Cheng Ziang sighed and said earnestly.

"I didn’t ask for repaying, just remember me, that’s all," Ah Si muttered with her head down, chuckling secretly.

"Are you a local from Hua State?" Cheng Ziang paused, then initiated the conversation.

"Yes, what about it?" Ah Si nodded and asked.

"No, it’s nothing," Cheng Ziang shook his head with some regret, "I just want to say that we can’t stay in Hua State forever, so we may have to part ways here."

"Then you can take me with you," Ah Si’s eyes twinkled with excitement as she spoke.

"Take you with us?" Cheng Ziang looked at her, his expression troubled.

"What, are you unwilling?" Ah Si’s eyes fluttered, asking with a hint of grievance.

"It’s not that, but I have companions, and it would be a strange thing for them to know I’m bringing a girl," Cheng Ziang shrugged and said.

"Are you worried about your own reputation?" Ah Si’s smile gradually faded.

"What face do I have to worry about? I’m worried about your reputation," Cheng Ziang glanced at her, shaking his head helplessly.

"That’s no problem for me, because I know you’re a gentleman," Ah Si revealed her smile again, cheerfully saying.

"We’ve only known each other for two days, but I always feel like you’ve known me for two years," Cheng Ziang stared at her, squinting as he spoke.

"Maybe it really has been two years," Ah Si said with a smile.

"Stop kidding, two years ago I was still in West Outer Heaven," Cheng Ziang rolled his eyes and said.

Ah Yang looked up at the two people chatting back and forth with wide eyes filled with curiosity, and his fluffy ears occasionally trembled, just like a little cat.

One hand was held by Cheng Ziang, the other thumb tucked in his mouth, obediently following by Cheng Ziang’s side, quiet to an almost unbelievable degree.

After sniffing slightly, Ah Yang lowered his head to look ahead and suddenly became excited, pointing forward and loudly saying, "Ah, I remember up ahead, up ahead is the crossroads that leads home."

"You know where your home is?" Cheng Ziang asked excitedly.

"Mhm," Ah Yang nodded vigorously, and added with a blink of an eye, "I think."

"Do you remember or not?" Cheng Ziang asked with a wry smile.

"It should be over there..." Ah Yang pointed at the crossroads not far off where the main road and a smaller path split.

"Alright, let’s take that way then. Just be sure you’re not mistaken, otherwise, I can only take you with me and keep up with the team," Cheng Ziang said with a nod.

"We might as well hand him over to the prominent families," Ah Si suggested from the side.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I’m not that kind of person," Cheng Ziang said with a glare.

"Oh come on, don’t be too wary. I think the prominent families wouldn’t necessarily harm the child; maybe handing him over to them is the right thing to do," Ah Si said.

"What do they want with the child then?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Didn’t I tell you last night? This kid could very well be the illegitimate child of a prominent family. If that’s the case, then it’s only natural for the prominent family to be searching for their children," Ah Si reasoned confidently.

"Isn’t this too ostentatious?" Cheng Ziang said, frowning sceptically.

"After all, it’s Hua State, it’s their territory," Ah Si said with a shrug.

"I can’t base the child’s fate on such groundless speculation," Cheng Ziang shook his head, "If I had not encountered him, I could ignore his affairs. But since I have, I must take responsibility."

"You really are... too kind-hearted..." Ah Si said, giving him a sympathetic look.

"It’s called responsibility," Cheng Ziang stated with conviction.

"I’m really convinced by you. Since the child says to go that way, then we’ll follow," Ah Si said, spreading her hands and shrugging helplessly.

With that, the two started to follow the small path indicated by Ah Yang. Calling it a "small path" might be misleading since it was only small relative to the main road; it was still wide enough for a carriage to pass through.

The trio walked several kilometers along the path, faintly making out buildings beside a pond and the lake. Ah Yang became more and more excited, and upon seeing the buildings, he even happily clapped his hands: "Found it, found it, that’s home!"

"Pretty remote place to have a home – who would live in such a backwater?" Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but complain.

Ah Si didn’t take up Cheng Ziang’s remark; instead, she felt something was off. She furrowed her brows subtly, scanning their surroundings keenly, sensing a powerful pressure approaching.

"Cheng Ziang, be careful!" Ah Si suddenly cried out in alarm, then forcefully pushed Cheng Ziang.

Cheng Ziang stumbled to the ground with Ah Yang, a cold breeze passing by, exploding a nearby tree trunk without warning.

After pushing Cheng Ziang, Ah Si rolled several times to steady herself, gripping her hands tightly with lingering fear as cold sweat poured out. If she hadn’t retracted her hands in time, they might have burst open just like the tree trunk.

"Who’s there!" Cheng Ziang got up from the ground, drew the long knife from his waist, and pulled Ah Yang behind him.

The figure was a man in black, wearing a conical hat and a fitted dark outfit, coming out of the woods, his gaze fixated on Ah Yang behind Cheng Ziang, his eyes filled with obsession and savagery, sending chills down Cheng Ziang’s spine.

"Give me that child," the man in black demanded in a hoarse voice, his voice sounding as if he were suppressing hysterical emotions.

"Mob justice?" Cheng Ziang swallowed nervously, his eyelids twitching. The immense pressure from the man in black was so intense that it made direct eye contact difficult, an extremely subtle but oppressive feeling.

Seeing the man in black appear, Ah Si held her breath and quietly reached for the bell dangling at her waist. In an instant, her presence was minimized. Neither Cheng Ziang nor the man in black noticed her, focusing instead on each other.

"I’ll say it again, give me the child!" the man in black said irritably, his throat making a grumbling sound as he spoke, like the low growl of a rabid dog.

"Ah Yang, stay where you are, don’t go anywhere, I’ll protect you," Cheng Ziang said without turning his head, letting go of Ah Yang’s small hand, then drew the Yuanzi pistol from behind his back.