Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1641 - 1634: The Familiar Stranger

Chapter 1641: Chapter 1634: The Familiar Stranger

Just as he was deep in thought, Hun Jiansi suddenly looked over at him. Fortunately, Cheng Ziang reacted quickly and immediately averted his gaze. Yet, despite his quick reaction, his movements were still caught by Hun Jiansi.

"Hey!"

Hun Jiansi grinned mischievously, tilting her head and staring at him: "Were you sneaking a peek at me while I was zoning out just now?"

"No, I wasn’t! Why would I need to sneak a look at you?" Cheng Ziang, feeling guilty, looked away.

"If you want to look, then look all you want. Why act so sneaky?" Hun Jiansi burst into laughter, her lips curling up playfully.

Cheng Ziang stole a glance at Hun Jiansi, feeling a mix of nerves and curiosity. Honestly, when she laughed, she really had a charm that was uniquely hers—a pure innocence often found in young girls. It was hard to believe she was a disciple of the famed Nine Streams.

"Do you like laughing?" Cheng Ziang asked curiously.

"Laughter drives away a hundred worries; why wouldn’t I?"

Hun Jiansi crossed her arms behind her back and tilted her head coquettishly at him. But soon, her smile faded, and the sense of loneliness hidden beneath her cheerful mask began to surface.

"Actually..." Hun Jiansi chuckled bitterly, lowering her head as if mocking herself, "It doesn’t matter if I laugh or not—no one ever notices. This is the price I pay. I’ve known that ever since I started following my master."

She paused for a moment, her emotions seemed to stabilize a bit, and there was renewed brightness in her gaze as she looked earnestly at Cheng Ziang. "I really hope someone could notice me, recognize me, talk to me, maybe... even be my friend..."

"Isn’t it ridiculous? I’m a successor of the Fog Concealment Skill, a technique meant to completely hide oneself. But deep down, both my master and I long to be discovered—even if being exposed means certain death."

Every lonely soul is actually yearning for someone else’s attention. Perhaps, for people like them, hiding is a survival instinct, but in the depths of their hearts, they still yearn to be found.

This is a profoundly contradictory mindset. As they say, extremes lead to counterforces. Anything done excessively will incur repercussions—loneliness is no exception.

"It’s not contradictory. Concealing yourself is your skill; seeking attention is your desire. The two don’t conflict. Humans are social creatures. Since you’re part of society, it’s only natural for you to follow your instincts and seek connection with the outside world," Cheng Ziang said.

"Humans... creatures?" Hun Jiansi tilted her head, clearly unfamiliar with these advanced concepts.

"Forget it; there’s no point in explaining. Anyway, since I can recognize you, here’s my acknowledgment of your existence. But let me warn you—a word of caution: if you plot against the Saints, don’t expect me to go easy on you. You’re aware of my skills," Cheng Ziang stated.

"Yes, yes, I know..." Hun Jiansi replied with a dismissive tone.

Cheng Ziang nodded lightly, pondered for a moment, then followed up with a question: "About today’s events, what’s your plan? Are you really going to allow the Wu Family to keep troubling us?"

"That’s a strange question—if the Wu Family wants to trouble you, why are you telling me? Do you think we’d stick up for you and offend the Wu Family?" Hun Jiansi asked.

"You’re already enemies with the Wu Family, so what’s there to ’offend’? Since you’re not planning to make a move, perhaps we should consider paying a visit to the Wuting Clan’s manor," Cheng Ziang suggested.

"There’s no point in telling me things like that," Hun Jiansi shrugged indifferently. "The Wen Family cares, the Emperor’s Sect cares, but I, Hun Jiansi, couldn’t care less. Wherever you go, I’ll follow—but don’t underestimate my skills. Despite being here all this time, even Huayu Ting hasn’t detected my presence."

Saying that, Hun Jiansi couldn’t help but reveal an expression of smug satisfaction.

"You should be more serious—you’re a spy," Cheng Ziang said, exasperated. "Since you’re serving the Emperor’s Sect, you should stick to your duties."

"Sticking to my duties would’ve meant killing you all right from the start—that was the Emperor’s Sect’s command for me." Hun Jiansi’s smugness gradually faded.

"But we’re still alive—is it because we’re lucky, or because you couldn’t bear to do it?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"Guess!" Hun Jiansi responded, smiling again.

"I have important matters to handle. If you keep dragging this out, I’m leaving—I don’t have time for this nonsense," Cheng Ziang frowned slightly.

"Is that all you want to talk about when we rarely get a chance to chat?" Hun Jiansi pouted, grumbling.

"These topics are giving me a headache. I really don’t have time to engage in banter with you," Cheng Ziang rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright. Can we talk business now?"

Hun Jiansi glanced at him, sighed helplessly, and shook her head: "You don’t need to worry about the Wuting Clan. Their soldiers, along with Wuting Yan and Wuting Li—they won’t be making it back."

"What did you do?" Cheng Ziang asked, visibly shocked.

"What’s with that expression? What did I do? I merely told you a secret—that’s all," Hun Jiansi replied with a glance, somewhat annoyed. "Did you know the Emperor’s Sect has two major organizations under its command?"

"I do—one is Lieying Tang, and the other is your Heterogeneous Hall," Cheng Ziang answered.

"Not bad—it seems Huayu Ting has some skills, managing to uncover so much information," Hun Jiansi nodded approvingly.

"Stop diverting the topic. Continue!" Cheng Ziang urged impatiently.

Hun Jiansi sighed again and continued: "Lieying Tang’s experts have already been dispatched—they’re waiting for Wuting Yan on his way home."

"Lieying Tang? You’re planning to kill them to silence them?" Cheng Ziang exclaimed, voice tinged with alarm.

"Don’t be so dramatic—it’s the best solution for dealing with those troublesome guys," Hun Jiansi replied.

"But..." Cheng Ziang expressed his concern.

"Relax, the blame won’t fall on the Huayu Family. After all, in Hua State, the Huayu Family is an ally of the Wen Family," Hun Jiansi reassured him.

"How many people did Lieying Tang dispatch?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"One!"

Hun Jiansi raised her slender index finger.

"One?"

Cheng Ziang could hardly believe his ears.

"Don’t underestimate this person," Hun Jiansi said.

"But Wuting Yan is at the Golden Core Realm!" Cheng Ziang exclaimed.

"So what? Just a mere Ba Path cultivator—even if he reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, what of it? Besides, he’s heavily injured—this is the perfect opportunity to teach the Wuting Clan a lesson and crush their rebellious spirit," Hun Jiansi shrugged, disdain evident in her tone.

"That Lieying Tang expert..." Cheng Ziang hesitated.

"Stop guessing. To join Lieying Tang, the minimum requirement is the Golden Core Realm. Two hundred measly soldiers paired with one half-dead Ba Path cultivator—they’re nothing," Hun Jiansi scoffed.

"The members of Lieying Tang are all at the Golden Core Realm..." Cheng Ziang took a deep breath, still struggling to process his shock.

"Don’t act so clueless—it’s embarrassing," Hun Jiansi looked at him disdainfully. "Don’t forget, this is the Emperor’s Sect—a faction personally established by Emperor Wu."

"It seems the Emperor’s Sect is truly filled with hidden talents..." Cheng Ziang murmured, his tone carrying a deep sense of awe.

"So, don’t go offending us—especially not me. Sure, I might not be able to beat you, but don’t underestimate my skills either," Hun Jiansi said confidently, closing her eyes and smiling.

"You’re indeed skilled—when I bathe or use the restroom, you wouldn’t be snooping, would you?" Cheng Ziang squinted at her.

"Wha—what are you saying? What kind of person do you think I am?" Hun Jiansi’s face instantly turned crimson as she stammered, her eyes darting nervously.

"I’ve got quite a good figure—you wouldn’t mind sneaking a glance, right?" Cheng Ziang teased.

"Re-really? Can I?"

Despite her blushing, Hun Jiansi’s eyes lit up instantly, her brows rising in eager anticipation.

"Looks like you haven’t done it yet. I’ll definitely need to be on guard against you," Cheng Ziang said with visible relief.

"I didn’t expect someone as seemingly refined as you to be so dirty-minded," Hun Jiansi retorted, visibly annoyed.

"I didn’t expect someone as skilled as you—a Fog Concealment Skill successor—to be such a chatterbox," Cheng Ziang sighed.

"Don’t you like it? I haven’t talked to anyone in ages—this is all I’ve been saving up to say," Hun Jiansi asked nervously.

"If you’re bored, you can come find me to chat. But only if you make the effort—I’m not wasting time searching for you everywhere," Cheng Ziang stated.

"Just listen for the sound of bells—that means I’ve arrived," Hun Jiansi said, her face lighting up with joy.