Chapter 18: Buddha has fire

“Feels so good.” Bai Wuzhuang was already soaking in the Little Hot Spring, her face full of bliss.

“That doesn’t make sense. How can there be a hot spring inside a cave? Where does all this steam go?” Dong Huiting walked a circle inside the Small Stone Cave with the hot spring, her mind filled with questions.

“This is a Secret Realm. Anything is possible here.” Bai Wuzhuang laughed.

“You know we’re inside a Secret Realm, so how can you dare to take a bath here? How can you let your guard down?” Dong Huiting scolded.

“Even if I stay on guard, it’s useless. I’m just a little rookie. So I might as well get myself clean and comfortable before I die.” Bai Wuzhuang smiled.

“……”

Dong Huiting was left speechless by her optimism.

The two of them just stared at each other for a while.

In the end, Dong Huiting couldn’t resist.

She took off her shoes and came to soak her feet by the hot spring.

She actually wanted to get in and bathe completely, but that would have contradicted what she just said, and her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Bai Wuzhuang soaked until her whole body turned red and a little dizzy, then hurriedly climbed out of the Little Hot Spring and wrapped herself in a towel to dry off.

Inside the hot spring’s Small Stone Cave, there was even a thoughtfully prepared Small Stone Bed. If you got dizzy from soaking, you could just lie down and rest for a bit.

“……”

Dong Huiting glanced at Bai Wuzhuang a few times. After seeing her fall asleep, she quietly undressed and slipped into the Little Hot Spring to enjoy it herself.

After all, she was just a Qi Refining disciple from a countryside little sect. She’d never experienced a hot spring before.

“If I survive the next round, and I find out Qing Shaofei’s identity, I’ll tell you who he is. Then you can claim to be the White Sheep and reveal Qing Shaofei’s identity to the others.”

Bai Wuzhuang lay on the Small Stone Bed, her eyes covered with a piece of warm White Cloth, suddenly speaking in a serious tone about their next plan.

“Eh?” Dong Huiting was startled, shivering a bit in the water. She was a bit shy and gradually blushed.

“If the Curse of the Wolf kills you and you’re a White Sheep, then the wolf will be struck back and die.” Bai Wuzhuang continued her explanation.

“……”

Dong Huiting didn’t reply, her expression full of doubt.

“This way, you can solidify your credibility as the leading sheep. The other Sheep will be less hostile towards you, and your chances of survival will increase.” Bai Wuzhuang said.

“Why should I trust you? Maybe you’re not even the White Sheep. Maybe everything you’re saying is just nonsense and you’re just setting me up.” Dong Huiting retorted.

“That’s a reasonable suspicion. But I’ll only tell you the information. Like I said, it’s up to you whether you believe it or not. I’m just giving you advice.” Bai Wuzhuang spoke with complete rationality.

That left Dong Huiting even more confused. Since when did this little trickster get so smart?

The atmosphere turned awkward once again…

“I’m a Wool Sheep. I don’t have any special abilities, but I’m not afraid of being cursed to death either.” Dong Huiting said in a low voice.

“Oh.”

Bai Wuzhuang responded absentmindedly.

“What do you mean by that? Do you think I’m lying to you?” Dong Huiting immediately got angry when she heard that, complaining.

“I believe you.” Bai Wuzhuang still sounded dismissive.

“Doesn’t that just make me look petty and suspicious? Are you saying I was being narrow-minded just now?” Dong Huiting grumbled, both resentful and sorrowful.

“……”

Bai Wuzhuang fell silent.

Because she did think Dong Huiting was a bit petty and suspicious.

But in this Secret Realm of Murder where everyone was killing each other, being suspicious was a good thing.

The most dangerous thing was being naive. You just couldn’t trust anyone so easily.

However, Bai Wuzhuang was someone who could rewind time, so she knew Dong Huiting wasn’t a Wolf, and trusted her one hundred percent.

But she couldn’t casually reveal her ability to rewind time.

“I’ve tricked you before, so it’s understandable if you don’t trust me. That’s human nature—who would trust a liar a second time?” Bai Wuzhuang offered a few kind words, giving her a way out.

But judging by Dong Huiting’s expression, she didn’t appreciate it at all. Instead, she seemed even more troubled, wanting to say something but holding back.

Bai Wuzhuang felt a headache coming on. A girl’s heart is like a needle at the bottom of the ocean—impossible to figure out.

It felt like figuring out Dong Huiting’s inner thoughts was harder than clearing this Secret Realm of Murder.

Dong Huiting soaked in the hot spring for quite a while but never turned red.

Once she’d had her fill, she left the Little Hot Spring, modestly wrapped herself in a towel, and even turned her back, refusing to let Bai Wuzhuang see even a sliver of her skin.

But not really—Bai Wuzhuang, lying on her towel, sneaked a few sideways glances and still caught sight of Dong Huiting’s fair, tender back and her soft, shapely long legs.

It reminded her of that time they cultivated back-to-back in all innocence. In the blink of an eye, everything had changed.

She felt both sentimental and sorrowful.

“What are you peeking at? Are you, Miss Radish, jealous of my figure? Stop lazing on the bed. How long have you even been awake? Hurry up and get dressed! We still need to explore the cave and look for the Key.”

The moment Dong Huiting spoke, her icy fairy aura vanished into thin air, and she started nagging like an old mother.

Bai Wuzhuang sat up slowly and put on her clothes at a turtle’s pace.

“Can you hurry up? Why are you so slow even getting dressed? And there are new clothes here—can’t you put those on? Why are you still wearing your ragged beggar outfit?”

Dong Huiting, dressed in black brocade, looked heroic and dashing as she tossed a new set of clothes onto Bai Wuzhuang.

Bai Wuzhuang hesitated for a moment, then changed into the new outer robe even more slowly.

“So slow, so slow!” Dong Huiting was already stamping her feet in impatience.

“Master Dong, let’s not rush. I think we don’t need to look for the Key at all. Let the other Sheep do it. If we wander around, we’re likely to be attacked by Wolves. Our task is to survive—only by staying alive can we clear the level.” Bai Wuzhuang refused to budge, analyzing the situation.

“If we don’t look for the Key, how do we clear the level?” Dong Huiting asked.

“Besides the Key, there’s another way to move to the next floor. You find a Corpse, play the Deceased’s Ocarina, everyone gets transported to some Hall, then we vote to execute someone. The survivors move on to the next round.” Bai Wuzhuang smiled.

“So you’re just waiting for someone to die?” Dong Huiting’s face darkened.

“Is there a way for no one to die? Or do you want to save people?” Bai Wuzhuang shot back.

“The Sword Sect of Demon Apprehension’s creed is to vanquish demons and uphold justice.” Dong Huiting said earnestly.

“Don’t be too naïve, my dear ancestor. The Jianghu is full of deception and trickery. You already got fooled once, and you’re still so pure? You can’t trust anyone.” Bai Wuzhuang cut her off coldly.

Dong Huiting clenched her fists, grinding her teeth in anger. She couldn’t accept that this little trickster dared to be so arrogant.

“When the discussion meeting starts, let’s match our stories and cover for each other. Just say we didn’t see anyone, that we’ve always been together. We’ll vote together too—two votes bound as one, unbeatable.” Bai Wuzhuang kept nagging.

“Even Buddha would get angry! I ought to punch you in the mouth!” Dong Huiting roared.

“Slap my face if you must, but don’t hit my mouth—I still need it for debating with the others later.” Bai Wuzhuang said.