"You don't trust him?" asked Chen Xuan as they walked mid-way.
Using the Invisibility Technique to travel was a novel yet not very pleasant experience, especially when walking on the rugged muddy roads of the countryside. Although Hino was also known as the Royal Fortress, and Charles VII used it as a palace before he moved to Paris, it was essentially still a small rural town. Aside from the castle part being solidly built, other parts appeared quite "pastoral."
Not seeing the position of his feet naturally made it impossible to adjust his footing subtly; stepping high and low and then into a muddy puddle became the norm. Before even entering the castle, he already felt as if his toes were glued together.
"I don't trust anyone here; they even seem to be of a different race than me," Liu Shuyue replied bluntly, "If such people appeared in Great Qi, they might not even be considered human."
"Makes some sense."
"Of course, even if he were from Great Qi, I still wouldn't want to take him along into danger. If we truly encounter a crisis, an untrustworthy companion would only become a significant liability. As the saying goes, a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall; it's better to eliminate such a risk from the outset."
These words were music to Chen Xuan's ears.
Implying that he was considered trustworthy.
"What kind of enemies might we encounter? Do you have any predictions on this?" Liu Shuyue asked.
How would he know?
If taking Joan of Arc as a benchmark for combat power, then a cultivation disciple should be overwhelming—but in reality, he hadn't witnessed Liu Shuyue's power personally. Moreover, Joan of Arc's abilities had increased tremendously after acquiring the Spirit Sword Technique, so he was not quite sure about the average level of this world.
There was also the witch known as Mad Judy. While she sounded arrogant and ostentatious, she had never engaged in direct conflict with Joan but had always used public opinion and royal authority to push the latter to the brink, indicating that from a pure power standpoint, she was likely not as strong as Joan.
"Good question—it's my first time in this area, so I haven't gathered any intel," he said frankly, "How would you assess this situation?"
"If we need to eliminate a never-before-seen demon, one way is to inquire about its habits from nearby residents. The other way is to operate the Celestial Mist Skill, transforming the aura into a sweeping circle to sense the strength of nearby entities. With my previous level, I could detect within a twenty-mile radius, but after starting over, it has fallen to about a hundred steps."
"Oh? The Celestial Mist Skill has such capabilities?"
"You haven't used it?" Liu Shuyue appeared slightly surprised, "Any Heart Method can detect aura; it's just a difference in range and precision. Of course, those with high cultivation can also use one's detection to disguise or deceive; that comes down to the level of the game between both sides."
Chen Xuan indeed hadn't used it.
It was like buying a new car, smoothly driving it away but not understanding every function on the dashboard. The dealership would give him a thick manual, and he would only think to look at it when facing a problem.
The same goes for capabilities.
When he obtained the Heart Method, he focused more on its aspects to strengthen the body and enhance the cultivation technique, simply put, on how much buff it could add, so he hadn't paid much attention to such active-use small techniques.
After all, what threat needed guarding against in a residential neighborhood?
"Let me try now."
Upon saying this, Chen Xuan operated the Celestial Mist Skill, evenly diffusing the gathered aura—even though he had never done this before, it was as natural and easy as eating and drinking. But for now, he could only manifest a Level 2 Heart Method, so its range wasn't as exaggerated as Liu Shuyue had described.
The first strong reaction point appeared.
It was Liu Shuyue walking ahead of him.
At that moment, Chen Xuan felt a chill instinctively rise from his heart, causing a shiver. Without needing to consult a "manual," he knew this wasn't from fear of the other party but because the Heart Method was warning him that this person was not to be trifled with.
As the reconnaissance circle expanded, he detected more and more auras, but most were weak reactions. Until the castle not far away was also included, he quickly sensed four or five more noticeable reaction points, with one presenting a warm golden glow in his subconscious, located motionless beneath the castle.
One had to admit, using this Heart Method was quite handy, akin to activating a perspective with infrared sensors.
Chen Xuan praised it highly in his mind.
Even if someone was hundreds of meters away, he could pinpoint their location in advance; no wonder Liu Shuyue could find the bandit camp in the pitch-black night.
"Checked, no one stronger than you or me."
There are those stronger than me, but together, we are the ceiling.
"That's good," Liu Shuyue did not quibble about his wording, "But don't let your guard down; sometimes too much safety is a trap."
Chen Xuan nodded in agreement.
Additionally, he noticed that Liu Shuyue mentioned she started re-cultivating the Celestial Mist Skill, which verified an earlier theory of his: ability exchange wasn't a simple one-off trade from you to me; abilities learned through one's efforts could be regained through talent and effort, even after losing them.
The castle was built beside a lake.
Natural flowing water formed a natural barrier, requiring those entering to use a drawbridge to access the fortress.
On the towering stone walls, many soldiers were stationed. Without ten times the troops and large siege weapons, it would be challenging to capture this fortress.
But the guards could not fathom that two people would openly walk through the gates, brazenly entering the fortress.
"I heard... the Holy Maiden is to be executed tomorrow?"
"What Holy Maiden, she's been condemned as a blasphemous witch by the Arbitration Court."
"But can a witch also lead an army to defeat the English? She's ultimately the hero who reclaimed Orleans and Reims City..."
"Who knows, perhaps it's all the Devil's trick."
Such murmurs could be heard everywhere.
Even the Royal Guards serving the King had heard of Joan's illustrious achievements. Some spoke in her defense, while others cheered at the prospect of eliminating a witch. Regardless, Joan's prestige here obviously wasn't as grand as on the front lines.
"It seems Gildre's intel on this part is correct," Chen Xuan muttered, "My client has been unjustly slandered."
Even though the English didn't judge her, her fate still couldn't escape its original trajectory.
"Isn't it common in history for good people to be wronged and villains to succeed? Meeting you before the trouble is her fortune," Liu Shuyue sighed softly, "Can you sense her location?"
"Seems to be in the castle basement, we can descend from the eastern tower."
With a clear palace map and the far-reaching sense of the Celestial Mist Skill, finding someone wasn't difficult. Using the Invisibility Technique, they took less than half an hour to stealthily make their way from the castle entrance to the underground area, facing no obstacles. The prison was right next to the storeroom, with the key hanging on the stone wall.
Uncertain of what spell Liu Shuyue cast, the guards at the door quickly felt drowsy, closing their eyes within thirty seconds.
"The Sleep Curse Talisman can only last around half a quarter of an hour; we need to hurry," she reminded.
Chen Xuan took the key, opened the prison door, and entered. The layout here was somewhat like a hotel, with a narrow straight path in the middle, and wooden-barred cages on both sides.
Finding the cage where Joan was held was easier than he anticipated.
Because only one cage was guarded by four armored guards.
Guarded quite stringently, he thought. Through the guards, he confirmed Joan's figure—she had been stripped of all armor, wearing only a black burlap prison garment; her feet were shackled to iron balls, and her hands were in wooden stocks. However, aside from the stringent movement restrictions, no evident injuries were visible on her.
"Can you make these men sleep too?"
Just as he finished speaking, the guards began to sway left and right.
"Feeling so sleepy all of a sudden..."
"Hey, don't doze off here."
"Wait... is it knockout gas? Guard, guards..."
The last one forced himself to take two steps forward before abruptly falling.
The clattering of armor caught Joan's attention.
"What happened to you?" she lifted her head, even showing concern for them, "Guards, come here—"
She stopped halfway, a shocked expression appearing on her face.
At this moment, Chen Xuan slowly emerged from the shadows, walking step by step to the front of the cage.
"Divine Envoy... Your Excellency?"
"Hmm? Is she the client... why does she seem so respectful?" Liu Shuyue's low whisper came from behind, "I thought we were your most honored guests."