To prevent Qu Yan from playing any more tricks, Qi Qing deliberately let him lead the way. As long as Qu Yan didn't lead them back to the alley they were in before, he would definitely be lying.
Fortunately, Qu Yan was quite sensible and obediently led them to the alley.
"Let's begin."
"Ai..."
Miss Chu, I can't help you with this.
Qu Yan pouted, and a pink glow emanated from his palm. The power was weak, but it was enough to open a door.
"Buzz!"
The wall that had been empty just moments ago now had a small door.
"Here, it's over there. The door will close in a minute, so you'd better be quick."
"Aren't you coming in?"
Qu Yan said helplessly, "I have accepted my human identity and am living in the city. According to the rules, I have no right to return to Peach Blossom Pond."
"Okay, let's go."
Duan Chen didn't hesitate. He opened the door and led Qi Qing and the others inside.
Sheng Chen was the last to enter. As he stepped through the door, it vanished instantly.
Qu Yan stood alone in the alley and sighed to the heavens.
He hoped that man wouldn't let Miss Chu down.
He turned to leave, but bumped into a young face.
The person scratched his face.
"Sorry, can you open a door for me?"
"Are you kidding me?" Qu Yan rolled his eyes.
Ten minutes later.
"I say, who exactly are you?"
Qu Yan huddled in the corner, looking pathetically at the man in front of him.
Wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses and with an ordinary face, who else could it be but Wu Suo Wei?
"Me? I just want to go in and be an ordinary temporary worker."
"Huh?"
Qu Yan looked at him as if he were an idiot.
"Also, I am a god. I can help with the matter of the Thunder Altar."
Upon hearing him mention the Thunder Altar, Qu Yan's guard lowered slightly. Wu Suo Wei chuckled, and regardless of Qu Yan's agreement, he grabbed his hand and pressed it against the wall!
"Hey!" Qu Yan was startled.
The small door slowly appeared. Before he could stop him, Wu Suo Wei had already entered.
There was nothing Qu Yan could do but send a message to Chu Yue, explaining the situation.
[Mhm, I know. Don't worry about him.]
[Hey, it's not like I'm betraying a teammate, it's just that I can't beat him.] Qu Yan added an explanation.
[Scram! Don't think Xu Xi didn't tell me!]
Qu Yan shivered coldly.
Women are truly terrifying.
...
"Is this Peach Blossom Pond?"
Before Duan Chen, patches of lush green trees rose from the ground. Ahead was a tree-lined path, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers, truly evoking the essence of Tao Yuanming's Peach Blossom Spring.
"Go that way."
Led by Qi Qing, they followed the stone-paved path. After a short walk, they saw a village.
The people here wore modern clothes, and each person even had a mobile phone. Seeing them, they didn't seem surprised and continued with their own tasks.
Further inside was the crystal-clear Peach Blossom Pond, where an old woman stood by the edge, gazing at the fish swimming in the water.
Her back was stooped. She looked up and smiled.
"Are you her friends?"
"Chu Yue?"
Duan Chen asked tentatively.
The old woman nodded.
"Follow me."
"Okay, please take us to see her."
Duan Chen exhaled a breath of relief. As long as they met her, everything would be fine.
[Master, are you sure you can meet Chu Yue?]
[What? Did you sense something?]
[No, I just feel it's not as simple as we thought, and... I feel Qu Yan is indeed acting under her instructions.]
[Xu Xi too?]
[Uncertain.]
If that were true, wouldn't it mean they had been played by Chu Yue all along?
Duan Chen's face darkened slightly.
The old woman, seemingly not hearing his words about finding Chu Yue, led them to her house instead. Dishes were already laid out on the table, and even the bowls and chopsticks were all present.
"Sit, eat."
"Ah... alright."
It was hard to refuse such hospitality, and since they had even accounted for the number of people, it wouldn't be good to refuse.
Sheng Chen and Qi Qing were still ravenous, and Bai Ye was not much better. Compared to the three of them, Duan Chen felt he ate more elegantly.
The taste was indeed good, but more than that, Duan Chen wanted to see Chu Yue as soon as possible.
However, the old woman acted like a roadblock. After they finished eating, she directly showed them to two rooms, stating that the men would stay in one and the women in the other, leaving them no room to speak, only a graceful retreating back.
"This..."
"Did she know we were coming long ago?"
Duan Chen was about to lose his temper. Gritting his teeth, he said, "So... where is Chu Yue—?"
"Oh dear, Little Duan, don't be angry, don't be angry."
Mi Xueer and the other two women suddenly admired the woman named Chu Yue.
Who else could make Duan Chen look so flustered?
Not even the Apostles could, could they? The only one who bothered him a little was Wu Suo Wei, but even Wu Suo Wei didn't make him this angry.
That woman was too formidable.
Mi Xueer even had the outlandish thought that it would be great if she could evoke such strong emotional fluctuations in Duan Chen someday.
But it was unlikely. Duan Chen would only pat her head and treat her like a sister.
The young girl sighed helplessly.
...
Chu Yue was sitting on a tree, lazily picking and eating fruit, when she suddenly saw a figure whose expression was not very pleasant.
"You're quite leisurely."
Wu Suo Wei looked up.
"You came to Peach Blossom Pond without my permission?"
Chu Yue's face turned cold. She jumped down from the branch, her expression quite gloomy.
"Just came to take a look. After all, the Thunder Altar is now guarded by many Apostles."
"So what? It has nothing to do with you, a闲神 (xián shén - idle god)."
"Do you have to be so aggressive? I'm just unable to interfere in human affairs. If I could, I'd solve them all at once. But don't worry, although I can't do that, if Duan Chen is in danger, I still can..."
Before he could finish, he saw Chu Yue's increasingly cold expression and a rare hint of dejection.
"I am saving him."
"You mean, you played a thousand games of chess with that so-called Evil God, used my people as pawns a thousand times, tormented them a thousand times, all for the sake of saving him?"
"That's right."
"You only cared about winning the game. In a sense, you are as detestable as that Evil God."
Wu Suo Wei pushed his glasses up slightly.
"Regardless, I hope you can help him. It's normal to hate me, but Duan Chen is innocent."
Chu Yue sneered, "I know that better than you."
"In any case, at least for now, we are on the same side. Neither of us wants to lose Duan Chen in this final timeline!"
Chu Yue responded faintly.
"Understood."