Chapter 222: Just a Codename

He froze.

He should have killed her to silence her, cutting off all future troubles at the root.

In the next moment, a familiar yet intense feeling surged from within his body; his thoughts and consciousness began to grow muddled, he staggered to his feet, his lips slightly parted, his tone icy to the extreme.

"Yuan Yao, you're right; let's pretend we never knew each other."

After a pause, his expression returned to cold, without the earlier fluster and embarrassment: "If one day my secret is leaked through your mouth, I will personally kill you."

Yuan Yao: "Okay."

The surroundings instantly fell silent.

Xie Yan left without a sound.

Yuan Yao lowered her eyes, concealing the emotion in her gaze.

She closed her eyes, performed a few Pure Heart Mantras for herself, then resumed her cultivation.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

After leaving the cave, Xie Yan staggered a few steps, then uncontrollably dropped to his knees; immediately, his skin began to split all over, bright red blood seeping out.

His handsome face was now covered in blood, a shocking sight.

At this moment he resembled a monster that had just crawled out of a pool of blood, his whole body exuding a strong stench of blood.

His eyes were blood-red, hiding an indescribable pain; he knelt on the ground, hunched over.

Under the moonlight, the youth's silhouette suddenly gained something extra.

…

One night passed.

The cave no longer held any trace of the girl; she had already taken a Disguise Pill and a Breath-Concealing Pill, becoming a member of the monster tribe soldiers, following behind a squad of Eagle Tribe soldiers as she slipped into Heaven Sharp City.

After entering Heaven Sharp City, she found that its guards were even more numerous than those of Empty Moon City.

Likewise, an Eagle Tribe soldier trailing behind the squad eyed her suspiciously: "Why do you look so unfamiliar to me?"

"I just arrived." Yuan Yao's disguised appearance differed greatly from her true looks; she now appeared as a young Eagle Tribe soldier, ordinary in looks, seeming somewhat timid.

Upon hearing that, the Eagle Tribe soldier suddenly understood: "So you're a new transfer from the Monster Tribe's Eagle Tribe; no wonder I haven't seen you before."

Yuan Yao noticed that as she spoke with this Eagle Tribe soldier, several Eagle Tribe soldiers ahead turned their attention to her; she quickly raised a finger to her lips, making a shushing gesture.

That Eagle Tribe soldier also realized his voice was too loud in this quiet setting and hastily shut his mouth.

This Eagle Tribe squad was led by the Eagle Tribe commander, Cang Ming.

Soon they arrived at the City Lord's Mansion of Heaven Sharp City.

Cang Ming brought only a portion of his confidants into the City Lord's Mansion, while the other attendants, such as Yuan Yao and that speaking Eagle Tribe soldier, were left outside.

The Eagle Tribe soldier struck up conversation with Yuan Yao again: "What's your name?"

Yuan Yao smiled: "Yuan Xiao Liu, and you?"

The Eagle Tribe soldier raised an eyebrow: "Zhou Zhouzhou."

Yuan Yao: "..."

She looked at Zhou Zhouzhou without changing her expression, lowering her voice to ask: "Do you know why the commander has come to seek the Wolf King?"

Zhou Zhouzhou lowered his voice further: "I'm not entirely sure either. But I know that Commander Cang Ming is acting on the Eagle King's orders, coming to seek an audience with the Wolf King."

Yuan Yao exchanged a glance with him.

Both saw through each other's disguises.

However, Yuan Yao still wasn't certain whether Zhou Zhouzhou was a human scout from over seven hundred years ago, or one of the human cultivators who had entered the Flowing Light Secret Realm.

Yuan Yao whispered softly, "Flowing Light."

Upon hearing that, Zhou Zhouzhou replied, "Secret Realm."

Yuan Yao immediately confirmed his identity: he was one of the two hundred human cultivators who had entered the Flowing Light Secret Realm.

"Shall we form an alliance?" Zhou Zhouzhou extended the invitation to her.

Yuan Yao asked: "What kind of alliance?"

Zhou Zhouzhou lowered his voice: "I want to make the monster and demon tribes turn against each other, so they'll have no spare capacity to worry about invading the cultivation world."

Yuan Yao looked at Zhou Zhouzhou with slight surprise; she had initially thought him a reckless bravo, never expecting him to have such a scheme.

Yuan Yao asked: "Then how do you intend to make the monster and demon tribes turn against each other?"

"Well, I haven't figured it out yet." Zhou Zhouzhou gave a light sigh: "Why don't you help me think? If we really could make the monster and demon tribes turn against each other, we'd surely become famous throughout the world!"

Yuan Yao: "..." She felt he was a bit unreliable.

Seeing her fall silent, Zhou Zhouzhou said: "You don't believe me, right?"

"Also?"

"Exactly, from the time I entered the Flowing Light Secret Realm until now, I've met thirty-two fellow human cultivators who also entered the realm; I told them my plan, and at first they were enthusiastic, but later they thought I wasn't worthy of being their ally and cast me aside." Zhou Zhouzhou grew more puzzled as he spoke: "Is it just because my cultivation is a bit lower and my strength a bit weaker?"

Having said that, Zhou Zhouzhou stared intently at Yuan Yao: "You wouldn't cast me aside, would you?"

Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow: "We haven't even formed an alliance yet, so what's there to abandon?"

Zhou Zhouzhou was left speechless.

Zhou Zhouzhou asked: "Then what are your thoughts?"

Yuan Yao's mind suddenly flashed with an astonishing idea; she turned her head to Zhou Zhouzhou and said: "Thanks to you, I've come up with a good plan!"

"What plan?" Zhou Zhouzhou asked curiously.

Yuan Yao looked at him: "Are you sure you want to ally with me?"

Zhou Zhouzhou nodded.

Yuan Yao gazed into his eyes and spoke slowly: "Then let us first swear an oath: if, during our alliance—i. e., the time we spend in the Flowing Light Secret Realm—either of us commits betrayal or kills the other, we shall suffer heavenly punishment, be struck by five thunders, and ultimately have our souls and spirits scattered."

Zhou Zhouzhou froze, his eyes involuntarily flickering.

"Don't be so serious?" Playing this hard?!

Yuan Yao smiled faintly, "If we are allies, then we must be completely open with each other. Zhou Zhouzhou, are you willing to stake it all?"

Zhou Zhouzhou touched her smiling eyes, his careless expression gradually fading as the corner of his mouth twitched up slightly.

"Yuan Xiaoliu, why should I trust you?"

"Then why should I trust you?" Yuan Yao saw him reveal his true colors, which wasn't strange, because from the start she had felt he approached her with an ulterior motive.

First he straightforwardly offered a scheme to sow discord, then he put on an unreliable act—wasn't it… using others to carry out his plan?

This person is certainly not ordinary.

In other words, this person either has deep scheming, or already knew about the secret mission concerning the Liuguang Secret Realm.

"You're interesting." Zhou Zhouzhou sized her up.

Yuan Yao casually replied, "You're not bad either."

Zhou Zhouzhou couldn't help laughing.

"Even if we aren't allies, we can get along peacefully; there's no need to fight like those boring people."

Yuan Yao remained silent.

"You're really called Yuan Liuzi?" Zhou Zhouzhou earnestly searched his memory and found he had never heard of this person's name.

Yuan Yao said, "Just a codename."

Zhou Zhouzhou let out an "eh," "Me too."

The two exchanged a glance.

Neither asked about the other's real name.

"What do you want to do next?" Zhou Zhouzhou lowered his voice, "I can do whatever I can to cooperate with you."

Yuan Yao naturally guarded against him, smiling, she said, "No reward without effort."