Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1664 - 1657: Flower Under the Moon

Chapter 1664: Chapter 1657: Flower Under the Moon

Cheng Ziang had grown accustomed to wandering through Kyushu, or perhaps it was better to say he had grown numb to it.

The Dongsheng Empire was a pieced-together empire, comparable, in its dysfunction, to the so-called Holy Roman Empire, which was neither holy nor Roman.

Yet, regardless, the Dongsheng Empire at the very least had an effective central cabinet system, and it was making a concerted effort. As for its fate, it was still too early to tell.

Deep down, Cheng Ziang harbored a notion: since cultivators posed such endless trouble, why not take decisive action—eliminate all cultivators in Kyushu and the entire Eastern Continent.

Cultivation required both time and resources. If an entire generation of cultivators were exterminated, it would be near impossible to replenish their ranks quickly. Then, relying on powerful military suppression, the empire could ensure that no excessively strong cultivators emerged within its borders.

Of course, cultivators couldn’t be entirely eradicated, for human desire was boundless—a truth Cheng Ziang understood well.

Thus, his idea was to limit the number and capacity of cultivators, keeping most at the Jiedan Realm level, with only a few high-level cultivators tightly controlled by the Imperial Court, guaranteeing that their power would never disrupt the empire’s stability.

The present chaos in Kyushu was fundamentally the result of rampant cultivation forces.

Unlike the Western Continent, where the Church Court tightly regulated mages’ development and recruitment, preventing magic from being abused—even civilian mages were mostly mediocre. True power remained firmly under the Church Court’s control.

After the banquet concluded, it was already late at night. Cheng Ziang dragged his tired body back to his residence, his foggy mind feeling as though it had forgotten something—someone who had been shadowing him had seemingly disappeared.

Deep in the forest outside Tianguan Town, a young guard sat on a cold stone, his hand incessantly shaking the bell hanging from his waist.

Soon enough, out of the pitch-black thicket emerged two figures, moving slowly toward him. Seeing this, the guard jumped off the stone and frowned, questioning sharply, "Why are you so late?"

Her voice was ethereal and sweet; one could tell immediately it belonged to a girl—and a particularly lovely one at that.

"Got delayed on the way, you know Qi State Mountain is difficult to traverse," one of the newcomers replied with a muffled voice, as if apologizing.

"You’re really hard to track down, Hun Jiansi," the other person said.

"Oh, so you’re blaming me now?" Hun Jiansi asked with a cold smirk.

"Not quite," the man with the muffled voice waved his hand, interrupting what seemed an imminent quarrel, "How is the Saint?"

"In good shape. The Imperial Court had Baiyang Yu wait here for him well in advance. However, that idiot—I seriously doubt his competence," Hun Jiansi replied bluntly.

"Baiyang Yu is a descendant of the Baiyang Clan. If he were truly useless, the Imperial Court wouldn’t have sent him to such a perilous place," the man responded, his voice somber.

"Better hope so. He’d better not get charmed by some widow and lose track of the Saint," Hun Jiansi retorted sourly.

"The Saint certainly knows our Emperor’s Sect has been watching him, doesn’t he?" the other man inquired.

"What do you think? Otherwise, how could he be the Saint? Do you really think I could conceal myself in their midst?" Hun Jiansi shot back.

"Then have you confessed everything?" the man asked.

At these words, Hun Jiansi burst into laughter tinged with fury, glaring at him as she spoke through gritted teeth, "How about you go deal with them while I leisurely follow from behind?"

"No need for spite," interjected the muffled-voiced man, breaking up the pair’s conflict with patient persuasion, "Hun Jiansi is a master of the Fog Concealment Skill; only she can handle this kind of task."

"Still, even the Fog Concealment Skill has its limits," the other man mused with genuine admiration.

"Indeed, after all, it’s just one of the Nine Streams, hardly brave enough for close confrontation," Hun Jiansi retorted sharply.

"Enough, you two. Stop bickering," the muffled man interjected again, halting their escalating argument.

"Hmph," Hun Jiansi glared at the muffled man, took a deep breath, and declared, "The Saint plans to traverse the Anxiang family’s territory to head north. Those damned locals will undoubtedly stir up trouble for him."

"No worries, the arrangements have already been made. His entourage will safely make it to the capital. What we need to worry about is whether the Saint might become tempted by the Anxiang family and defect to the Wu family’s side," the man said gravely.

"They have their principles. They’re not the type to chase empty fame or wallow in mediocrity. You don’t need to worry about betrayal unless the Wu family changes its ways entirely—which is practically impossible," Hun Jiansi replied.

"Can you guarantee that?" the man asked.

"I’d stake my life on it!" After a brief hesitation, Hun Jiansi answered resolutely.

"So, you’ve only followed him for a few days and already lost your mind over that man. Seems like you’ve shared a bed too, haven’t you?" scoffed the other man.

Hun Jiansi said nothing, but she fixed him with a murderous glare that made his hair stand on end.

He seemed overly pleased with himself, as if forgetting that Hun Jiansi was the master of the Fog Concealment Skill.

If she wished, no one could find her. If she wanted, she could appear soundlessly behind anyone. That was precisely what made her so terrifying.

"We’re all colleagues, working for the Imperial Court. Let’s be mindful of our words and avoid needless hostility," the muffled-voiced man coughed lightly, speaking in a low tone.

"I don’t want to deal with people like you. You disgust me, so don’t bother me unless necessary. I’m not one to be lenient. If you aggravate me again, I’ll sew your mouth shut and see if you dare ramble anymore," Hun Jiansi snarled, turning to leave as the sound of her bell accompanied her departure.

Gazing at her departing figure, the man grumbled indignantly, "Wretch!"

"Just hold your tongue. Hun Jiansi isn’t someone to provoke; everyone in the Emperor’s Sect knows that," sighed the other man.

"Do you truly think I’m inferior to her?" the man turned and asked.

"You both have unique skills, but this isn’t about who’s better than whom."

"Hmph, if she dares use her Fog Concealment Skill against me, I’ll show her the meaning of cruelty," the man replied bitterly.

Yet ironically, when Hun Jiansi’s bell faded in the distance, the two men immediately fell silent, communicating in perfect tacit agreement without uttering another word.

Clearly, they understood Hun Jiansi’s prowess. Once the bell disappeared, even Jiedan Realm experts could hardly detect her presence, and instinctively, they obeyed the urge to keep their mouths shut, not daring any further noise.

Cheng Ziang, returning from the dinner, slept for a while before inexplicably awakening in the middle of the night. He looked toward the window.

The cold moonlight spilled onto the sill, where he seemed to glimpse a petite figure leaning against it.

Holding his head, he struggled to rise and slowly moved toward the window. The figure seemed aware of his approach, let out a soft sigh, and asked, "How many times have you caught me now?"

Cheng Ziang said nothing.

After a pause, the figure continued, "I’m curious. How exactly do you keep finding me? Are you truly a Nascent Soul Realm expert?"

"Just intuition," Cheng Ziang replied, lowering his hand and sitting across from the figure.

"Intuition, huh. Impressive..." the figure remarked wistfully.

"You know I’m not of Nascent Soul Realm, don’t you?" Cheng Ziang asked, frowning slightly.

"I’m not stupid. After spending time with you, I can sense your true capabilities," the figure said with a smile.

"Then you..." Cheng Ziang hesitated to ask.

"Relax. I haven’t told anyone. I don’t think it’s information worth reporting," the figure said, waving dismissively.

"Thank you, Hun Jiansi," Cheng Ziang said earnestly.

"You’re the only one who thanks me over and over. What exactly have I done to deserve such gratitude from you?" Hun Jiansi murmured, tilting her head to gaze at the moon, a faint smile gracing her lips.

"For me, there’s only right and wrong. When you treat me well, I thank you. If you don’t, I’ll criticize you. It’s as simple as that," Cheng Ziang answered seriously.

"Heh,"

At these words, Hun Jiansi turned her head to look at Cheng Ziang. Suddenly, she broke into a radiant smile—so lovely that, for an instant, Cheng Ziang felt his heart stir.