Chapter 428: Dead Sea

"Cough cough!" Pei Si, completely lacking tact, cleared his throat to interrupt the two lovey‑dovey people, saying, "Although it's a bit embarrassing, you two should go back and continue being lovey‑dovey."

He had no habit of watching others show off their affection here.

Gu Rongjin ignored him, the person he constantly thought about was safe and sound in his arms; he was still shaken from the aftermath.

Mu Yuanzhi wanted to go back and say more, but now that she relaxed, her whole body felt drained; she couldn't even stand steadily, relying on Gu Rongjin and leaning in his embrace just to stay upright.

"Are you unsteady? Are you really okay? Did you suffer internal injuries somewhere?" Gu Rongjin worriedly gave Mu Yuanzhi another once‑over.

"I'm fine, I'm just hungry, tired, and thirsty." Leaning in Gu Rongjin's arms, Mu Yuanzhi felt reassured; even though she felt uncomfortable all over, she thought it didn't matter—she just needed to rest back home, and she wasn't injured.

Gu Rongjin couldn't take a pulse, but seeing that Mu Yuanzhi's complexion was only a little off and she seemed truly unharmed, with no sign of injury, he tentatively believed her.

"All right, I'll carry you out."

He said this and was about to scoop Mu Yuanzhi up in a horizontal hold.

"How are you going to get out while holding me?"

"Don't worry! I'm fine, and even while holding you I can still leap over roofs and scale walls." Gu Rongjin still had that confidence.

Mu Yuanzhi, however, said: "Why don't you just carry me on your back?"

With other people around, she felt it would be embarrassing to be carried in a hug.

Gu Rongjin nodded in compromise.

They walked behind, while Pei Si and Cao Cixiu walked ahead.

Along the way, Gu Rongjin and Mu Yuanzhi recounted what had happened to them after they entered.

Originally he and Pei Si's group had gotten separated; he had been trapped there as if by a ghost wall, until Cao Cixiu broke the eerie natural labyrinth and reunited with him.

According to Cao Cixiu, this place had become a natural maze due to its geography and the structure of its mountains, rivers, and trees; although he didn't fully understand, he at least knew it wasn't man‑made.

Cao Cixiu could communicate with plants and animals, so having him on Back Mountain greatly reduced the danger.

When they came, they passed the Dead Sea; the Dead Sea was just as Cao Cixiu had seen before—people could float on it without danger, so they crossed it as easily as flat ground.

Mu Yuanzhi listened and nodded; the slightly dazed she suddenly became alert, pointing ahead and saying, "That couldn't be the harmless Dead Sea you mentioned, could it?"

Her tone was hesitant, as if she wanted to speak but held back.

The others looked: ……

"What's going on? It wasn't like this just a moment ago!"

Gu Rongjin could see that a large pile of bizarrely shaped animal corpses was floating on the Dead Sea, looking fresh, as if they had just died.

Cao Cixiu was also puzzled: "The little crow told me this Dead Sea has stayed like this for a hundred years; generations of crows in its family have witnessed it."

At that moment, the caterpillar that had been leading them crawled along beside Cao Cixiu's ear.

Cao Cixiu then translated: "The little caterpillar says the same thing."

Pei Si stroked his chin and said, "Either it suddenly mutated, or it's man‑made."

"Man‑made? Who else could it be? Andluo barged in? He doesn't have this skill, Xiao Yichen? I beat him half to death, and Fake A Zi barely has a breath left." Gu Rongjin racked his brains.

Cao Cixiu said, "Perhaps I need to ask something even older."

Mu Yuanzhi saw him looking around and picked a tree that, at a glance, was clearly old and towering.

Unlike communicating with animals, Cao Cixiu can only talk to plants that are on the verge of death.

But this tree was obviously still full of vigor.

But Cao Cixiu was clearly not the type to pity fragrance and cherish jade… or trees; he pulled out a bottle of something from his bosom, poured it on the tree, and the possibly‑century‑old tree instantly withered to near death.

Then Cao Cixiu placed his hand on the trunk and communicated with it.

"You've killed it—will it even listen to you now?" Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help but feel embarrassed.

Pei Si laughed: "No problem—later A Xiu will heal it; right now he's negotiating with it, gaining both communication and leverage—two birds with one stone, isn't that great?"

"Fine, a two‑birds‑one‑stone deal…" Mu Yuanzhi was speechless.

Still, it had to be admitted that it worked—she saw Cao Cixiu return with a satisfied smile, and the tree seemed to be slowly recovering.

Unlike the instant withering before, it was recovering very, very slowly—so slowly that you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.

Gu Rongjin asked, "How is it?"

Cao Cixiu replied, "I asked it, and the thousand‑year‑old tree said the Dead Sea has been like this for ages—so long that it can't even remember when—it used to be extremely poisonous, ruthlessly devouring any creature that approached; later, perhaps due to climate or a mutation of the plants in the Dead Sea secreting something, it became quiet… it has been dead for many years, and now this can be described as it regaining vitality."

"If it's not man‑made, that's a bit more reassuring; otherwise suddenly having an expert appear would really be annoying," Gu Rongjin said.

Otherwise he'd suspect that Andluo had brought in a secret master.

Mu Yuanzhi said, "Where's the reassurance? Now how are we supposed to get past it?"

"Isn't there an all‑capable Master Cao? He must have a way, right?" Gu Rongjin heaped praise on Cao Cixiu.

"Does A Xiu definitely have a way?" Pei Si, as usual, placed high hopes in his capable subordinate.

Cao Cixiu cleared his throat and gave no answer.

"Master Cao, your lord is asking you a question—why are you being so rude?" Gu Rongjin had placed all his hopes on this coffin‑kid.

He's already a coffin‑kid—could a mere Dead Sea possibly stump him?

"Let me ask." Cao Cixiu said.

"You didn't happen to ask that old tree just now, did you? It's already recovering—can it still answer you?" Gu Rongjin worried.

Cao Cixiu: "It doesn't know."

"It's over—if even a thousand‑year‑old doesn't know, do we need a nine‑thousand‑year‑old to find out?"

"The nine‑thousand‑year‑old isn't here; shouting at him would be useless." Mu Yuanzhi replied with that cold joke.

Pei Si felt the chill: "Even if the nine‑thousand‑year‑old were present, it wouldn't help."

"Huh? I thought the Third Prince could remotely sense the nine‑thousand‑year‑old." Gu Rongjin, perhaps bored, started spouting meaningless nonsense.

Pei Si said, "I'm not acquainted with him; my younger brother might know him a bit better."

Cao Cixiu didn't bother with their nonsensical chatter and went off to look for clues.

Gu Rongjin set Mu Yuanzhi down first, then sat on the nearby stone bench to rest.

"I don't know how things are outside either; is the Qilin alright?" Mu Yuanzhi asked Gu Rongjin.

Gu Rongjin then realized the Qilin seemed to have something wrong.

"What could happen to him? Don't worry." Gu Rongjin dared not look at Mu Yuanzhi.

"Oh right, where's the Master? You said we four came in together, so why is the Master gone now? Where did he go?"