Zanxing (Retranslated)

Chapter 122 - Coaxing (1)

But for now, they had to find a way out.

Zanxing walked around the entire stone chamber, almost touching every inch of the walls and floor, even using the lighting talisman to examine the ceiling for any noteworthy details.

But there was nothing.

There was nothing in this stone chamber. Apart from the two of them and a cat, there was nothing else.

She turned to look at Gu Baiying.

Gu Baiying was still sitting, his expression unusually calm. He said, “I told you, there are no mechanisms.”

Zanxing thought for a moment and then pulled Mimi out from the corner. Gu Baiying watched her actions and asked, “What are you doing?”

“Doesn’t it have the bloodline of the Silver Moon Lion?” Zanxing replied. “I was thinking maybe it could give us a hint.”

Gu Baiying said, “Does it look like it can give you any hints?”

“But it’s a Silver Moon Lion…”

“It’s just a thin bloodline,” he said harshly. “After thousands of years, a diluted bloodline makes it no different from an ordinary house cat. It’s just a cat.”

Zanxing insisted, “Mimi is not just a cat. Even if it has only a bit of the Silver Moon Lion’s bloodline, it is still a Silver Moon Lion.”

Gu Baiying raised an eyebrow at her. “Are you deluding yourself like this?”

“What do you mean by that?”

In the dim stone chamber, the boy’s eyes were bright and piercing. He stared at Zanxing as if he could see right through her. He said, “A house cat with the bloodline of a Silver Moon Lion doesn’t change the fact that it’s still a cat. Just like you, even with a secret treasure, you still can’t protect yourself against a powerful beast.”

Zanxing’s pupils constricted.

Leaning against the stone wall behind him, Gu Baiying let out a careless laugh. “You passed a peaceful night on Gufeng Mountain, shone brightly during the sect assessment, and even progressed rapidly in cultivation during the Pingyang Town selection because you have a secret treasure, right?” He effortlessly revealed Zanxing’s biggest secret. “That’s why you were able to find the Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff, and why Yin Ying invaded your room at night—because there’s something on you that attracts him. Isn’t that right, Yang Zanxing?”

Zanxing was speechless.

Mimi, sensing the subtle tension in the stone chamber, quietly jumped aside, curled up in a corner, and pretended to be dead.

After a long silence, Zanxing heard her own voice asking, “What are you trying to say?”

“I don’t want to say anything,” Gu Baiying said lightly. “I just want to tell you, Yang Zanxing, having a secret treasure as a cultivator is not uncommon. But if you think that’s enough to turn every danger into good fortune, you’re sorely mistaken. Relying on external objects won’t lead to true strength. Even if you have a hundred treasures, the outcome will be the same. Moreover,” he glanced at Zanxing, “do you really think you can handle such opportunities?”

Like the final straw that broke the camel’s back, Zanxing’s heart went cold.

Could she handle such opportunities? Countless nights, she had asked herself this question with unease. Could she, as an ordinary person, bear the halo of a protagonist? But in these days, one thing after another, the red mark on her palm reminded her that she was just an ordinary person.

So she had the Xiao Yuan Pearl, but it was unreliable. She had a spirit beast with the bloodline of ancient divine beasts, but it was useless except for eating and sleeping. She had the Qing’e Flower-Picking Staff, but she couldn’t even lift any of the spiritual weapons in the armory. Even deliberately avoiding Mu Cengxiao and Meng Ying, she was still inexplicably pushed into this dark abyss by a mysterious beast that had never appeared before.

Zanxing inexplicably felt a wave of discouragement. She sat down absentmindedly, silent for a while, then whispered, “You’re right.”

Gu Baiying was somewhat surprised.

Her voice sounded lifeless, starkly different from usual, light as if mixed with complex emotions. “I’ve been too arrogant, relying on treasures to get this far. But perhaps this opportunity is not something I can bear. I’m just an ordinary person, not chosen by fate, shouldn’t try to defy destiny.”

She muttered, “And now, I’ve dragged you into being trapped here and die…”

Zanxing didn’t finish her sentence, burying her face in her knees.

A faint sound of sobbing seemed to echo in the stone chamber.

Mimi’s ears perked up, and Gu Baiying’s brow furrowed.

He lifted his eyelids, stealing a glance at Zanxing, and tentatively asked, “Hey, are you crying?”

The woman was wearing his clothes, her hair tie taken away, her hair casually falling behind her head and sliding down her shoulders. She lacked her usual vigor, appearing somewhat desolate and pitiful.

Gu Baiying inexplicably felt a sense of guilt.

He walked up to Zanxing, squatting down halfway, and tugged at her sleeve, trying to make her lift her face. “Yang Zanxing?”

Zanxing ignored him.

“Did I make you cry? I didn’t scold you or anything…” The boy looked somewhat embarrassed. “Please don’t cry.”

Mimi widened her eyes, curiously observing the two in the stone chamber.

Seeing Zanxing still burying her face in her knees, Gu Baiying felt a bit flustered. He said, “Okay, I was wrong just now. I didn’t mean to mock you. What I meant is, you shouldn’t always rely on external objects to save your life. You should focus more on cultivation. When you were leaving Li’er Country, you used to sleep until midday and always ate mortal food. How could you make progress like that?”

As he spoke, he realized he was getting self-righteous again. He lowered his voice and looked at the person in front of him, coaxing softly, “I didn’t mean we should wait here to die. I will definitely get you out of here.”

The person with her face buried in her knees seemed to move slightly at his words but still didn’t lift her head.

He racked his brain, trying to think of something that might make her happy. “…When we return to Gufeng Mountain, shall I teach you illusion techniques?”

A muffled voice came from between the knees. “Really?”

“Really!”

Zanxing suddenly lifted her head. “It’s a deal, Senior Uncle! When we get back to the sect, you must teach me illusion techniques!”

The person in front of him looked bright-eyed and lively, completely different from the gloomy image he had imagined. Gu Baiying was taken aback. “You didn’t cry?”

“It’s not time to cry yet,” Zanxing laughed. “If Senior Uncle breaks his promise and forgets today’s commitment, then I’ll cry.”

Gu Baiying stood up abruptly, squeezing out two words, “Cunning!”

“If I’m not cunning, how would I know that Senior Uncle cares about me so much?” Zanxing smiled, noticing a bloodstain spreading on his arm, probably from the fight with the Jinhua Tiger just now.

“You’re injured?” Zanxing reached out to pull his sleeve. “Let me see.”

“Don’t touch me!” Gu Baiying angrily shook off her hand, struggling, and a drop of blood dripped to the ground.

In the stone chamber, a dazzling green light suddenly burst forth.

“What’s this…” Zanxing was stunned.