Chapter 56: 55, United Front (Thanks to the Alliance Leader

55, United Front (Thanks to the Alliance Leader "Yu Xian Qi Tian"!)

Under Zhou Chang's piercing gaze, Bai Xiue's expression wavered in struggle.

After a long while, she regained her cold demeanor, raised her eyes to meet Zhou Chang's, and said: "Even if you have a way to attach the 'Golden Head of Emperor Shizong' to the headless corpse of the Nie, thereby breaking the trap set by the Cai Bao Tianwang,

you yourself will inevitably lose your life before that happens.

Do not forget—the headless Nie corpse can still live, but you, having been struck by Feng Si's omen of death, possess only a single living soul without distinction between head and body, yet you too will have your living soul suddenly extinguished when your doomsday arrives!"

Hearing this, Zhou Chang grinned.

Bai Xiue's words had at least revealed three key pieces of information to him.

First, Bai Xiue was indeed a pawn held in the grasp of the Cai Bao Tianwang.

Second, the current situation was indeed a chess game set up by the Cai Bao Tianwang.

Third, the Cai Bao Tianwang needs the Nie corpse to undergo embryonic transformation into an 'Old Nie', but it does not wish for this Old Nie to develop consciousness—perhaps it merely wants the shell of the 'Old Nie' to carry out further schemes.

Therefore, removing the head of the Nie corpse aligns with the Cai Bao Tianwang's desires.

"Have you forgotten?

I still have the 'Breaking the Hell' method available." Zhou Chang's smile faded as he spoke. "At that time, I will lodge my living soul within a false body and find a way to devour the omen of death."

"Although the 'Breaking the Hell' method is a means to counter the omen of death, it often results in certain death with no survival; few can succeed." Bai Xiue remained cold-faced, but her tone had softened somewhat.

"If I fail, only I will die," Zhou Chang said. "But if I succeed, you all will be able to break through this trap.

This is a deal with guaranteed profit and no loss; will you take it or not?"

Having finished speaking, Zhou Chang stared tightly into Bai Xiue's eyes; if this woman showed even the slightest hesitation now, he would certainly not ally with her.

Fortunately, Bai Xiue was finally decisive this time: "I will!"

With the agreement reached, she and Zhou Chang exchanged glances, understanding everything without words.

Afterwards, Bai Xiue added: "The Cai Bao Tianwang has too many schemes; I do not know them all. Even if I knew a fragment, if I spoke it, I would surely suffer 'curse death'.

But what I can tell you is that the Cai Bao Tianwang's current moves have not yet surfaced. For this Nie corpse to complete its embryonic transformation and grow into the form the Cai Bao Tianwang desires, it requires more 'food' to replenish its nutrients.

Qingyi Town is the farmland where the food needed by the Nie corpse can grow.

When the Nie corpse is about to mature, someone sent by the Cai Bao Tianwang will surely come to collect the harvest.

You must pay close attention."

"Good."

Zhou Chang nodded solemnly, committing Bai Xiue's words to heart.

He said no more, and Bai Xiue closed her eyes as her face slowly faded from half of Bai Xiu's cheek.

Bai Xiu's father, watching his daughter from the side, grew complex in expression.

"Xiue." At this moment, Zhou Chang suddenly looked at Bai Xiu and spoke.

His tone was gentle, and his address to Bai Xiu was unlike any before.

Bai Xiu, who had been slightly disheartened because Zhou Chang and Bai Xiue had allied while she seemed to have no role, felt some joy upon hearing Zhou Chang address her thus, though she dared not show it on her face.

She looked at Zhou Chang timidly, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Bai Xiue is attached to your body; do you have a means to restrain her?

For instance, to prevent her from hearing our conversation or appearing in public?" Zhou Chang asked.

Upon hearing this, Bai Xiu's lips parted slightly, and her eyes grew even more bewildered.

Hadn't he just made an agreement with Bai Xiue, and were the two not to join hands?

How could it be that as soon as Bai Xiue vanished, he was asking her if she could restrain Bai Xiue?

"There are some matters that are not good for Bai Xiue to know.

If she knows, the Cai Bao Tianwang might know as well. This is for her own good." Zhou Chang's expression was sincere.

Bai Xiu's father glanced at the young man with the dead man's face, his vigilance increasing, and he felt growing concern for his daughter's future.

"I, I understand." Persuaded by Zhou Chang's few words, Bai Xiu obediently nodded. Threads of silver lotus silk swam out from around her body. She casually plucked a strand and said to Zhou Chang, "I did not have many means to restrain Bai Xiue before.

Now, now that I have killed someone, these lotus threads have become more spiritual.

Sealing Bai Xiue inside the shell so she cannot appear for a while is something I can do..."

"She should not be able to hear our conversation now, right?" Zhou Chang asked earnestly.

Under his gaze, Bai Xiu lowered her head even further and whispered, "She is resting now; unless called deliberately, she will not wake. However, for safety, when you asked me just now, I already used lotus threads to seal the shell so she would not perceive it..."

Finally, Bai Xiu hurriedly added another sentence: "I did this because I did not want her to overhear your words in secret, causing discord between you two..."

"Xiue did well!"

Zhou Chang praised her greatly.

Bai Xiu kept her head lowered, unsure in her heart whether what she had done was good or bad.

"Later, we will go to the Bride's Pool to handle one matter.

At that time, we will need you, Xiue, to seal off Bai Xiue so she does not learn of the outside situation." Zhou Chang said.

"Are we going, going to the Bride's Pool again?" Bai Xiu hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "Good."

"Thank you, Miss Bai."

Zhou Chang thanked Bai Xiu.

Bai Xiu lowered her head and smiled softly, saying no more.

She remembered she had finished sewing that Hundred Beasts Robe; perhaps young Zhou could use it, so she wanted to take down the small bundle behind her back and hand it to him, but at that moment, Zhou Chang had already stepped forward and walked toward the mountain's exit.

Seeing him walk quickly, Xiue lowered her hand again, and accompanied by her father, followed him with her head bowed.

Bai Xiu's father deliberately walked slower, forcing Xiue to slow her pace as well. When the father and daughter finally fell a distance behind Zhou Chang, Bai Xiu's father whispered in Xiue's ear: "This person is not good!

He looks like someone who eats people without spitting out the bones, youngest daughter, you must be careful!"

"Ah..."

"Father, Young Zhou has gone far away..."

"..."

Zhou Chang, walking ahead, found the stench of corpses growing heavier around his nostrils.

He focused intently on moving forward, his attention entirely on the mountain path beneath his feet; thus, in the corner of his eye, a fleeting glance revealed that noble concubine with her two buns, her face pressed right against his.

Those pitch-black eyes stared fixedly at Zhou Chang's skull, while in the swaddling clothes she held, a skull—half golden, half rotting flesh—slowly turned, examining Zhou Chang's body again and again.

After a long while.

Zhou Chang heard that sharp, thin questioning voice.

He could not make out the specific content of what the voice said; he only felt the other's words flow into his heart, forming two sentences according to his own understanding: "What do you want?

How about giving your body to Me to use?"

"I want you to place your head upon the neck of this shell of mine in nine days," Zhou Chang replied thus.