Chapter 352: How Can a Play Go Without a ‘Twist’?

The suspect has arrived?

Instinctively, Hua Erniang put away the Free Wanderer Sword and looked toward the entrance. She fully unleashed her divine sense but felt no fluctuations in aura.

Just as she was about to turn back, a figure dressed in black, Duan Chen, stepped through the doorway, locking eyes with her!

It wasn’t until this moment that she finally sensed that familiar aura!

Impossible!

If my cultivation is truly higher than Duan Chen’s, there’s no way I wouldn’t have sensed him until he was right in front of me!

That could only mean one thing—his cultivation is actually higher than mine. He deliberately concealed his strength, making me believe he was weaker!

Thinking deeper, Mr. Gu had sensed Duan Chen’s presence long before he arrived and was aware of his movements before he even stepped inside.

What did that imply?

It meant she had completely misjudged him from the beginning. Mr. Gu was not some ordinary man, nor was he just someone with a passing knowledge of mystical arts. He was a true cultivator of immense power!

His cultivation far surpassed both hers and Duan Chen’s!

And when he first mentioned visiting the Void Emperor… Could that “visit” have actually meant an exchange between equals?

In an instant, Hua Erniang pieced together many things, growing even more aware of how unfathomable Mr. Gu—who was casually washing dishes in the backyard—truly was.

“Lady Hua! Are you all right?”

The black-clad swordsman strode into the inn. His shoulder was wrapped in white bandages, blood faintly seeping through from time to time.

His complexion was pale, his condition clearly poor. But upon seeing Hua Erniang’s injuries, his eyes revealed what seemed to be genuine concern.

Suppressing the revulsion rising within her, Hua Erniang turned her head away and waved him off. “It’s nothing, just a surface wound.”

“Nonsense!” The black-clad swordsman moved closer, sitting across from her. “Your aura is unstable—how could it be just a surface wound?”

Meeting the concern in his eyes, Hua Erniang averted her gaze and gave a bitter smile. “That’s just how duels go. Getting injured is normal.”

“Sigh…”

The black-clad swordsman let out a long sigh. “Don’t worry, my injuries are almost healed. Tomorrow at midnight, you just wait in the back—I’ll take care of the remaining five matches!”

It’s only now that I realize… your tone, your attire—they all resemble my late husband so much…

Since you’re so eager to put on a show, I’ll play along.

“Fine, I’ll let you take the lead in the next few matches,” Hua Erniang said softly. “While I recover, I’ll guard your back.”

“But don’t push yourself. If you truly face an opponent you can’t defeat, call me, and we’ll fight together.”

Her voice was gentle, her phoenix eyes shimmering with an enchanting light.

Duan Chen had never seen Hua Erniang speak to him in such a manner before. His heart surged with joy. “Great! Just watch me!”

“I came here today for two reasons,” he continued. “First, to check on you. Second, to tell you—I’ve had a breakthrough during my battles. My cultivation has risen to another level… I believe we can win this tough fight!”

Heh, your acting is quite good…

Hua Erniang’s eyes glimmered with intrigue as she smiled. “That’s wonderful.”

“Mm!” Duan Chen nodded, patting the storage pouch at his waist. A streak of light landed on the table—several fragrant packets of beggar’s chicken.

“I know you love this, so I made a special trip to buy it.”

Hua Erniang shook her head. “You eat it. I just had some lamb soup earlier—I can’t eat anything else right now.”

“Lamb soup? Isn’t that a specialty from Great Wu? Since when did they start selling lamb soup in Eternal Slumber City?” the black-clad swordsman asked in confusion.

Hua Erniang replied indifferently, “Mr. Gu made it. It was delicious.”

Duan Chen’s expression tensed. “Mr. Gu!”

“Why are you so worked up about Mr. Gu?” Hua Erniang asked.

Duan Chen glanced around cautiously before leaning in and lowering his voice.

“Lady Hua… You’d best keep your distance from that Mr. Gu.”

Hua Erniang asked in confusion, “What’s the matter?”

“From the connections I’ve made here in Eternal Slumber City… that Mr. Gu is someone under the Fifth Prince of Great Wu,” Duan Chen said.

Before he could finish, Hua Erniang deliberately cut him off, “And what of it? What does the Fifth Prince’s man have to do with us demon cultivators? Besides, he’s just a mortal—no matter how high his status in Great Wu, it has nothing to do with us.”

“No, no!” Duan Chen waved his hand. “That Mr. Gu is indeed a mortal, but he has powerful demon cultivators protecting him in the shadows.”

“The most crucial point is that those demon cultivators likely come from Demon Capital and serve the Flood Dragon Emperor!”

“The relationship between the Flood Dragon Emperor and the Void Emperor has always been unclear. I have a feeling that Mr. Gu’s arrival will throw Eternal Slumber City into turmoil.”

“So, it’s best for you to minimize contact with him—but don’t offend him either…”

“I see…” Hua Erniang murmured thoughtfully. “I didn’t expect someone who looks so harmless to have such influence behind the scenes.”

There was something odd about her tone, but Duan Chen couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. After a moment of thought, he simply nodded and agreed, “The world is vast—you can’t judge people by appearances alone…”

“You’re right!”

With that, Hua Erniang waved her hand dismissively. “You should go back and rest. You don’t look too well yourself, and I need to rest too.”

“Alright then!”

“See you tomorrow!”

Without any hesitation, Duan Chen rose and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Hua Erniang maintained a faint smile. Now that she was certain his cultivation was higher than hers, she couldn’t afford to reveal any negative emotions while he was still close by…

“The suspect has left. Did you discover anything?” Gu Ning’an lifted the curtain and stepped out from the backyard.

Hua Erniang stood up and cupped her hands in gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Gu, for your repeated warnings earlier. I was too foolish to have trusted him.”

Gu Ning’an waved his hand with a smile. “No need to be so formal… So, what do you plan to do next?”

Hua Erniang furrowed her brows and replied, “Right now, there’s no direct evidence proving he killed my husband. But at the very least, we can be certain that the upheaval in the Hunting Arena was orchestrated by him.”

“If it wasn’t him, why else would he be spying on me…?”

“Everything happens for a reason. I suspect he wants me to willingly submit to him—that’s why he’s staged such a grand act.”

“If that’s the case, then I’ll play along… I want to see exactly how he plans to win the next five rounds.”

“Playing along… That’s a clever approach.”

Saying this, Gu Ning’an casually tossed a golden kumquat fruit toward her.

Hua Erniang instinctively caught it and opened her hand to find a spirit fruit the size of an egg, emanating a faint golden glow.

“Mr. Gu, this is…?” Seeing Gu Ning’an heading upstairs, Hua Erniang hurriedly asked.

Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Since it’s a performance, how can there be no twist? When the moment of reversal arrives, eat that fruit—it will restore all your injuries…”