Chapter 55: Ingenious Schemes

When Ou Xinya stood still and opened her eyes, she was greeted by Ou Xinlai’s face. Joy blossomed across her features; Ou Xinlai, that ugly duckling, truly had no fear—like a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger. Indeed, it was fortunate that Ou Xinlai had arrived, for without her, how could the plan proceed?

Ou Xinlai, however, paid no heed to Ou Xinya’s delight. She surveyed the dense throng of people before her, frowning slightly. It made sense; the Ancient Chiyou Cave was a relic left behind after the great war of gods and demons in antiquity. Aside from the country of Xuanwu, the other three nations naturally coveted it as well.

In truth, the Ancient Chiyou Cave was not a genuine battlefield. The real relics of the battleground did not lie here. This cave was but a minor site, a small arena, and for reasons unknown, it had become a sealed, hollow space, opening only once every three years.

Of course, all these things were details Ou Xinlai would learn later.

Compared to the true relics of ancient battlefields, the Chiyou Cave seemed smaller and, consequently, less perilous. Yet everything is relative—the cave was far more terrifying to a novice like Ou Xinlai than a dragon’s lair or a tiger’s den.

Ou Xinlai ignored the mass of people, but just because she had no ill intentions didn’t mean others did not. Hidden among the crowd, several malicious eyes were trained on her, their schemes already set upon her head.

Before long, the Ancient Chiyou Cave opened. On the sheer cliff face, a yellow light appeared, expanding and spreading until it formed a luminous tunnel. As soon as the tunnel emerged, the dark mass of people surged toward it.

Ou Xinlai had no intention of joining the crowd; she preferred solitude, paying no mind to the other four members of the Ou family, entering the yellow circle on her own.

Naturally, those four Ou family members did not concern themselves with her either. Unlike Ou Xinya, who sought to harm Ou Xinlai, Ou Jingyun and the others were more inclined to simply observe from the sidelines.

Ou Xinlai had a clan leader for a father, but Ou Xinya possessed true capability.

Which of these two women would ultimately triumph? None among them dared to make a prediction.

To avoid offending either one, the three decided to refrain from meddling in the struggle between Ou Xinya and Ou Xinlai, opting instead for self-preservation.

Thus, Ou Jingyun, Ou Jinshen, and Ou Jinren agreed to form a team; let Ou Xinya and Ou Xinlai fight as they wished, whatever treasures the three acquired would be evenly divided among them.

Upon entering the Ancient Chiyou Cave, Ou Xinlai began to grumble about Ou Chenfeng’s blatant favoritism. Though she was quite swift on her own two legs, how could she possibly compete with others who had magical artifacts to speed them along?

Once inside, Ou Xinlai grimly discovered that everyone else possessed treasures. Seated upon their artifacts, they traveled a thousand miles in a day, while she, with only her legs, lagged far behind. In no time at all, she was left far in the rear.

Since she had come, she made peace with it. Ou Xinlai, ever broad-minded, though she complained about Ou Chenfeng, accepted her fate and wandered along at a leisurely pace.

“Don’t move—one more step and you’ll lose your life!” Ou Xinlai hadn’t strolled for long before her hands were twisted behind her, a sharp blade pressed against her lower back. “I know you have some tricks, but with your hands restrained, let’s see how bold you can be!”

Hearing these words, Ou Xinlai raised an eyebrow. In the country of Xuanwu, she was known as a hopeless case. As for these supposed tricks, only the Ou family would know of them; even the Xuan family was not fully aware. Therefore, the attacker behind her must be linked to the Ou family?

Ou Xinlai shook her head inwardly—impossible.

Of the five people from the Ou family, she remembered the faces of the other four. The unfamiliar aura from the person behind her was certainly unrelated to them. Don’t ask her why; she simply knew, from the scent alone, that the attacker had nothing whatsoever to do with the Ou family.

“Tie her up. That way she can’t pull any stunts,” the one who captured her said to another. Evidently, more than one person had come for Ou Xinlai today.

The accomplice swiftly emerged, covering Ou Xinlai’s eyes with a black cloth and binding her hands with a magical artifact resembling an elastic cord, leaving her unable to resist.

Ou Xinlai arched a brow—such thorough preparations. “How long have you been planning this?”

It truly was remarkable; she, a mere novice, was deemed worthy of such elaborate schemes. Ou Xinlai almost felt flattered.

The two who bound her were startled; they had said nothing, yet Ou Xinlai proved so astute. “To think, though you lack powers, your mind is sharp,” one of them remarked unconsciously.

“Not too bad,” Ou Xinlai replied, utterly unfazed by her predicament, chatting cheerily with her captors. “With a formidable father, if I’m too weak, I’d be letting down the people of Jiangdong.”

At her words, one of them immediately sneered, as if rebutting Ou Xinlai.

That sneer made Ou Xinlai instantly realize, “So today’s trouble was caused by my father,” she nodded, adopting an expression of sudden understanding.

The two men could no longer remain composed. This time, they had truly said nothing, yet Ou Xinlai deduced that the kidnapping was connected to Ou Chenfeng. Though she lacked powers, what was the structure of her mind?

If she relied solely on conjecture, then her guesses were uncannily accurate!

-- Extra Notes --

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