The dungeon was extremely deep and quiet, emitting a strong Icing air. If an ordinary person entered such a cold dungeon, they would freeze.
The distance between the ground and the bottom of the dungeon was 50 meters. The Inscription of Array had been carved into the stone wall, making it impossible for anyone to enter the dungeon from the underground.
Zi Qian sat cross-legged on the two-meter-high metal cage. Her slender arms and legs were tied with an iron chain, and a golden inscription mark was floating on the chain and handle.
Anyone who touched the iron chain, even slightly, would trigger the golden inscription mark, causing it to transform into an electric current and bounce the person away.
Chen Xier stood outside the metal cage, looking at Zi Qian who had been locked up and said, “There’s Blood Meridian of a Saint found in your body. You’re definitely not an ordinary assassin.”
Zi Qian kept her eyes closed. She placed her hands on her knees as if she didn’t understand what Chen Xier was talking about.
Zhang Ruochen, who had followed Chen Xier, entered the dungeon. He felt heartache when he saw Zi Qian locked up in the metal cage.
Furthermore, he was irritated that Chen Xier had locked Zi Qian in a cage only for suspecting that she was a killer of the Hades Department. It was an overly harsh punishment for Chen Xier to lock her in such a dark and cold dungeon.
If she had confirmed that Zi Qian was the spy sent by the Hades Department, what Chen Xier did, made complete sense. However, she hadn’t found any clue that she was one of the killers of the Hades Department, and anyhow, they were both sisters from the same School.
Then, Chen Xier took out a sharp broken sword. She walked in front of Zi Qian, sneered with her red lips and said, “It’s said that the relationship between you and Zhang Ruochen is pretty good?”
Zi Qian, who sat cross-legged in the metal cage, gradually opened her eyes. She stared at Chen Xier, who was standing outside the cage, and responded in a weak voice, “Zhang Ruochen and I…are only normal brother and sister.”
“Haha! You finally speak!”
Chen Xier let out a laugh with her soft voice and her chest pumping up and down. As her eyes became fierce, she sneered, “If you and Zhang Ruochen are just brother and sister, why did you save him, given that you might expose your real identity? Tell me! Is Zhang Ruochen one of the spies of the black market?”
“No.” Zi Qian closed her eyes again and stopped talking.
“BOOM!”
Chen Xier shifted her sight. She grabbed Zi Qian’s left wrist, which was tied to the iron chain, and dragged her over. Her face was tightly stuck to the metal cage.
The short sword in her hands moved to Zi Qian’s face. Chen Xier laughed, “If you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll cut your face open and you’ll make you disfigured. Then, I’ll imprison you in the Chikong Secret Mansion, and you’ll never be able to see the outside world again.”
The golden inscription mark, carved on the iron chain, kept drilling into Zi Qian’s body like wisps of golden thunder.
Even though Zi Qian was an assassin who had been through all sorts of brutal training, she was in great pain at this moment because of the spasm that was passing through her body. She clenched her teeth, shivering and said, “I…What I said is true…Zhang Ruochen…has indeed…no relation to the black market…”
The golden light shined on Chen Xier’s beautiful face and displayed her aesthetic outline. Her beautiful features were perfectly flawless.
Yet, Zhang Ruochen didn’t find her pretty, but rather evil and cunning. It was as if she were a different person than the goddess image that she displayed.
He sighed with disappointment.
Hearing the sigh, Chen Xier’s countenance changed. She asked, “Who is this?”
When Chen Xier was about to turn around, a palm wind hit her neck suddenly. She blacked out and fell to the ground.
Zi Qian, who was still in the cage, became nervous. She stared at the black shadow who had just knocked Chen Xier out while wearing a metal mask and asked, “Who are you?”
When the black shadow came closer, she saw a familiar face.
As Zhang Ruochen took off his metal mask, Zi Qian was able to recognize him.
Seeing Zhang Ruochem didn’t make her seem happy but even more anxious. She lowered her voice and asked, “Why are you here? If warriors of the School of the Martial Market found you here, they would think you’re also one of the spies of the black market.”
Zhang Ruochen replied, “I’m here to save you!”
“I don’t need you to save me. You should leave now!” said Zi Qian.
He was quite shocked and asked, “Do you think I can’t save you?”
Zi Qian looked coldly and said, “How can you not understand? There’s a reason people of the School of the Martial Market locked me up here. They are baiting the people from the black market to come save me. Not to mention, they have probably set up traps all outside the manor. I don’t see any chance for us to escape.”
“Anyway, you’re not like me. You’re the prince of the Yunwu Commandery with family and friends all around you. If the School suspects you as one of the spies of the black market, the entire Royal Family of the Yunwu Commandery would be affected.”
Seeing Zhang Ruochen was still there, Zi Qian said in a low voice, “Besides…we’re just friends. You don’t to take such a big risk for me…”
“Waaa!”
Before Zi Qian finished speaking, Zhang Ruochen took out his Abyss Ancient Sword and swayed downwards.
The iron chain that weighed a thousand kilograms broke into two part and dropped to the ground.
Then, Zhang Ruochen swayed four times in a row on Zi Qian’s wrists and ankles, cutting off the four iron chains that tied her to the metal cage.
He grabbed Zi Qian from the cage and said, “I’ve already saved you and have no way to go back now.”
Zi Qian was too weak to resist lying in Zhang Ruochen’s arms. She could only stare at Zhang Ruochen fixedly with a pair of beautiful eyes, expressing an angry but happy look.
Zhang Ruochen put her on the ground and flicked a pointed finger at her glabella, which caused a powerful Genuine Qi to surge through her body and unseal her blocked Meridians.
Afte her Meridians were untied, the dense Genuine Qi fully filled up the Meridians in her body. Shortly after, Zi Qian was full of energy and had recovered all her power.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Let’s go! It’s time to leave!”
Zi Qian’s face was blushed. She pulled Zhang Ruochen’s sleeves and asked, “How are we going to get out?”
He answered, “I have a way to conceal ourselves, and I’m 70% sure that the guards outside won’t be able to see us.”
Looking at Chen Xier, who was lying on the ground, Zi Qian said, “Perhaps I have a better idea!”
“What idea? Tell me.”
Zi Qian responded, “I’ve secretly learned ‘Silkworm Butterfly Skill’ in the Hades Department. Though I haven’t reached the realm of succeed, I’m still able to change my appearance in a simple way. Anyhow, it’s getting dark now, and I guess the warriors who are stationed at the dungeon wouldn’t dare to look at Chen Xier in detail. Once I change my look to hers, I’ll be able to escape easily.”
Zhang Ruochen also glanced at Chen Xier on the ground, for whom he had lost respect, and said, “That could work!”
He turned around and waited for a short while.
Zi Qian took off all Chen Xier’s clothes and wore them herself. Then, she helped Chen Xier into her clothes.
After getting changed, Zi Qian locked her into the metal cage and tied her with four iron chains.
She picked up the short sword on the floor, stared at the metal cage and said, “Chen Xier’s head is worth quite a lot on the ‘Board of Bounty Hunter’. Shall we kill her and share the rewards?”
Zhang Ruochen frowned his eyebrows slightly and said, “Well, I’m still a student of the School of the Martial Market, and I won’t let you kill people from the same School.”
In Chen Xier’s point of view, she was correct.
Zhang Ruochen was disappointed in Chen Xier because he felt that she was two-faced. She pretended to be perfect in front of him, but at the same time, she had just revealed her brutal nature behind his back.
He disliked women like her.
However, it was another matter that Zi Qian wanted to kill her. Surely Zhang Ruochen had to stop her from killing people.
“Fine! I’ll let her stay alive for now.”
Zi Qian put away the short sword and displayed the “Silkworm Butterfly Skill,” changing her face muscles and outline. She even amended her body figure and looked exactly alike to Chen Xier. Others wouldn’t be able to tell the bug.
“Silkworm Butterfly Skill allows me to change my outlook but not the physical quality nor the nature of Genuine Qi.” Zi Qian spoke with a voice that sounded exactly like Chen Xier.
It was to say that Zi Qian was indeed a qualified assassin, able to duplicate Chen Xier’s elegance. When she walked out from the dungeon, the two warriors didn’t notice any bugs.
Zhang Ruochen utilized the power of the Space Domain and distorted the space as if he had gone transparent. He walked next to Zi Qian and whispered, “Warriors of the School will soon find out that Chen Xier has been locked up in the cage instead of you. You need to escape from the Volley Manor tonight.”
Zi Qian nodded.
Riding in the little boat across the lake, Zi Qian didn’t encounter any obstacles and walked directly to the exit of the Volley Manor.
“Greetings, Miss Chen.”
The warriors stationed at the Volley Manor all kneeled and saluted Zi Qian.
“Open the door, we’re going out,” Zi Qian demanded to the warriors.
The warriors didn’t dare to question “Chen Xier’s” order and opened the door and array immediately. They released “Chen Xier”.
When “Chen Xier” was walking out the door, Zuo Lengxuan followed behind her. He looked at her back from far away and wondered, “Where is junior sister apprentice Chen going at such a late hour?”
He meditated for a second and decided to chase after her.
Seeing that Zi Qian had already left the Volley Manor, Zhang Ruochen didn’t follow her. However, he hadn’t expected someone like Zuo Lengxuan to suddenly appear out of nowhere.
Zuo Lengxuan had been chasing Chen Xier, and therefore, when he saw her leaving the Volley Manor so late at night, he followed her with a curiosity that was completely understandable.
However, that was not the real Chen Xier but actually Zi Qian.
If Zuo Lengxuan found out that she wasn’t the real “Chen Xier”, the consequence would be unimaginable.
Zhang Ruochen was worried about her. He concealed his body again and followed both of them.
After leaving the Volley Manor, Zi Qian displayed her technique. She dashed towards the dark and escaped at her fastest speed. She just wanted to leave the Volley Manor as fast as she could.
However, she felt like there was someone following her.
When she arrived at a relatively quiet area, she stopped and sighed, “Zhang Ruochen, I’ve already escaped and will be safe. You don’t have to keep following me.”
Zi Qian thought that the person following her was Zhang Ruochen. Therefore, she didn’t speak as Chen Xier; instead, she used her real voice.
“CLIP-CLOP!”
The sound of footsteps rang out.
Zuo Lengxuan walked out from the jungle, looking at “Chen Xier” at a distance with hesitation and asked, “You’re not junior sister apprentice Chen. Who are you? What’s your relationship with Zhang Ruochen?”
Listening to Zuo Lengxuan’s voice, Zi Qian’s countenance changed, and she turned around instantly. She only knew that he wasn’t Zhang Ruochen but an internal student.
Zi Qian had a faint impression towards Zuo Lengxuan. He was one of the top 50 masters of the Internal Academy, and they had met once or twice before.
She was completely shocked with despair. She hadn’t expected to expose her identity after escaping from the manor. Perhaps she failed the mission of escaping tonight?
