Chen Kuang closed his eyes, following behind the Black Armor Guard, silently counting his steps and the number of turns.
To be more precise... he was being led.
And it wasn't by the handcuffs on his wrists, but by his hand.
Chen Kuang felt a strange subtlety in his heart.
This Black Armor Guard was unusually considerate, even intentionally slowing his pace so that Chen Kuang, shackled at the ankles, could keep up.
It's not that others couldn't be this way, but such treatment towards a humble captive from an enemy nation wasn't "appropriate."
The Zhou people were cold-blooded, their military even more ruthless; captives were just captives, and one must harbor no illusions or mercy towards the enemy, lest people like Dong Da become more common.
Actions from the top will be followed by those below; such behavior could affect the morale of the army.
Since they sought him out so quickly, it proved that Chen Kuang's plan had worked.
The Zhou truly were seeking the Elixir of Longevity, but for reasons unknown, they could not disclose their actions.
From the way the Black Armor Guard killed the two prison guards without hesitation, Dong Da, who first accessed this secret, was likely already executed.
As Li Hongling's Personal Guard... could one really have such extra kindness?
Chen Kuang's mind stirred.
The hand covering his wrist was slender... not like a man's.
"We're here."
The Black Armor Guard released his hand, the voice muffled through a thick mask, somewhat unclear as if mixed.
Here? That was too fast...
Were the Black Armor Army's tents really so close to the Celestial Prison?
"Don't waste your efforts."
The Black Armor Guard looked at the blind musician before him, saying calmly:
"I brought you here with the Vertical Leaping Technique; the paths you memorized don't exist."
Chen Kuang: "..."
Alright, being seen through in the High Martial World is my fate, I understand.
But I didn't feel even the slightest difference from walking on solid ground; isn't this Qinggong a bit too unfair?
Come to think of it, that's why they held the wrist...
Chen Kuang took two steps forward, reaching out to touch the tent's curtain.
A raspy, sharp female voice came from inside the tent:
"Qingcuo? The people are dead? Let Deputy Xiao arrange a new batch of prison guards then."
"Yes."
The Black Armor Guard lowered his head in response, turned, and left.
Chen Kuang walked in.
Though his eyes were shut, strangely enough, he could vaguely sense the obstacles around him.
The memories of this body's original owner were mostly pitch black, with only sounds and faint light changes, thus Chen Kuang originally thought it didn't affect him much.
But it wasn't until he closed his eyes to simulate being blind that he realized he was quite adept at it.
This was actually a good thing, should he need to fight in the dark later on, it would be advantageous.
The Zhou army had been stationed for a while; the tents were well-built, carpet laid on the ground, with tables and chairs, and even Dragon Brain Incense was burning.
Li Hongling sat casually at the top, watching Chen Kuang as he stood at the center, then was pressed down to kneel by two Black Armor Guards.
She lifted her gaze, her eyes crimson: "I heard you said Su Yu once granted an Elixir to a Le Zheng at Taichang Temple?"
Chen Kuang bowed down, lowering his head to avoid betraying any flaw in demeanor.
"Yes... I heard it with my own ears."
"Su Yu has been obsessed with the Alchemy Dao for over a decade, seeking immortality, nearly to madness, seeking only Longevity; why would he entrust an Elixir to a mere Le Zheng?"
"Le Zheng was skilled at music and was close to the late emperor, often granted personal items..."
"Not enough."
Li Hongling suddenly raised a finger and shook it, staring at Chen Kuang, word by word:
"I think this reason is not sufficient enough."
"I'll give you three sentences; if you can't persuade me, I'll consider you trying to deceive me."
The intimidating Female General slowly rose, almost reaching the tent top, standing tall as a mountain draped in black scales, steadfast and imposing, aggressive aura surging to the skies.
The Female General stretched a hand backward, grasping a long handle.
"Crack."
The ground emitted a cracking noise, a nearly three-meter-long giant halberd deeply embedded at an angle on the ground, easily lifted single-handedly by her.
She wasn't sitting on a chair but was seated on that halberd!
This halberd named Giant Star Deep Abyss, forged from a whole piece of Xuan Iron, weighed a full five hundred pounds; no Divine Power needed, just smashing could kill someone.
Chen Kuang paused:
"I am indeed lying."
"One sentence."
"Luo Lezheng was just a gentleman's son who entered the palace by donating money, only learning the zither for three years, a poseur seldom summoned by the late emperor, so how could he receive an Elixir?"
"Two sentences."
Chen Kuang smirked:
"I know what you're looking for... the one granted the Elixir wasn't Luo Lezheng, it was me."
"Three... Boom——!!!"
Suddenly, that massive mountain abruptly collapsed, a giant shadow whistling, enveloping overhead.
Giant Star Deep Abyss was lifted by Li Hongling, swung forward, carrying wind and thunder, sweeping through surrounding air, crashing violently towards Chen Kuang's face.
If Chen Kuang were to describe it, it felt like watching a dump truck hurled by a titan.
His pupils constricted, his scalp tightened, heart pounding, he felt the powerful wind rushing towards him, almost squeezing the remaining air out of his chest cavity.
In the next second, Li Hongling's figure exceeded the speed of the halberd.
In a flash, she appeared before Chen Kuang, extending her right arm, catching Giant Star Deep Abyss again mid-air!
"Thud!"
A muffled sound, air currents scattered, blowing open the tent curtains.
The two Black Armor Guards stepped back a pace.
While Chen Kuang was pinned to the ground by Li Hongling's other hand, motionless but already pale.
Li Hongling spoke coldly: "What makes you worthy then?"
Chen Kuang expelled a breath with difficulty: "Because I am a cultivator who has opened the Eighth Acupoint."
Hmm... though initially, only the Ninth Acupoint was opened.
Just now, under Li Hongling's imposing pressure, his meridians' slowly flowing Spiritual Qi got stimulated, breaking through the mere paper-thin barrier of the Eighth Acupoint.
Li Hongling squinted, her hand placed on Chen Kuang's body, directly probed into the Spiritual Qi to examine.
Chen Kuang felt as if some invisible foreign object forcibly entered his body, disregarding the feeble resistance and lamentations of the meager Spiritual Qi within, freely exploring, churning the waters... then decisively withdrawing.
Li Hongling released him, her gaze still unbelieving:
"What does a cultivator signify? Su Yu does not lack experts by his side."
Chen Kuang combined his memories with the information obtained from Chu Wen Ruo,
speaking with eyes closed, in a low tone:
"Cultivators from Lingtai Mountain secluded themselves, the late emperor never considered them his own, in the Imperial City, officials were dazzling in attire yet harbored ulterior motives; kin were incompetent, subordinates were scarce."
"Only someone like me, humble and alone, could be entirely at his disposal."