Chapter 532: Chapter 405: Stone Chamber Dialogue, Mental Imprint

Gu Qingchan’s voice echoed in the stone chamber. It was as soft and crisp as ever, sweet and gentle, yet filled with wariness. No one waking to find a strange man beside them could possibly relax.

Her eyes were fixed on the man not far away. She tried to probe him with her Spiritual Sensing, but her Spiritual Energy was in disarray and her body was weakened to an extreme. She couldn’t even accomplish this simple task.

"There’s no need to be nervous. If I had any ill intent, you wouldn’t be lying here unharmed."

The man’s voice was deep and resonant, echoing like rolling thunder in the stone chamber. He sat ramrod straight, as firm and unmoving as a boulder.

Just then, Gu Qingchan noticed she was covered by a gray linen shirt—clearly a man’s. Vague fragments of memory surfaced in her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of them. She tried to sit up and check her body, fighting through the pain, but immediately fell back, powerless. As she fell, the linen shirt slid away, revealing the graceful, alluring curves of her slender figure.

A lock of hair fell to one side, partially veiling her stunning face. Through the tears in her tattered dress, glimpses of smooth, lustrous skin were visible.

"Ngh..." A pained expression crossed Gu Qingchan’s face, and a soft gasp escaped her lips.

The man before her did not turn around, but Gu Qingchan knew that under his Spiritual Sensing, she was completely exposed to his gaze.

A brief silence fell over the stone chamber. Gu Qingchan wanted to cover herself, but she simply lacked the strength. A faint blush crept across her elegant, beautiful face; it was impossible to tell if it was from embarrassment or indignation.

After a long moment, the man’s voice finally rang out.

"I’ve already killed them; you can take the credit. You were afflicted by the Ten Thousand Demons’ Desire, and I am the one who saved you. If you appreciate this favor, do not speak of my existence."

The images in Gu Qingchan’s mind grew a little clearer. It seemed she had done something improper... Her soft, delicate mouth, it was as if it had been holding something.

Gu Qingchan’s mind was reeling with questions, but before she could sort through them, she saw that the man had already risen to his feet, preparing to leave.

"Senior..." Gu Qingchan fought through the pain, lifting her head to ask him more.

The man said nothing, leaving without a backward glance. All she saw was his powerful, broad back as he departed.

BOOM!

A few breaths later, a loud bang echoed from outside, followed by the sound of a pile of rocks crashing down.

In the ensuing silence, Gu Qingchan lay on the ground, recuperating for quite some time before managing to recover a sliver of strength. She gritted her teeth against the pain and pushed herself to her feet. The linen shirt fell away, and she saw that her court dress was mostly destroyed. The tattered skirt revealed her long, shapely thighs, as fair and smooth as jade.

Her expression tightened as she recalled the scene before she lost consciousness, and she hurriedly bent down to inspect her body.

A few breaths later, a rosy blush spread across her cheeks, making her look all the more captivating.

Thankfully, her Primordial Yin was still intact.

Images flooded her mind. While the other figures in them remained impossibly blurry, her memories of her own actions were gradually becoming clear.

In her memories, was she... making a pass at someone?

Gu Qingchan’s expression was complicated as she held the linen shirt, her gaze distant and unfocused.

’Who could he be?’

...

After exiting the stone chamber, Chen Ping’an blasted the stone door open with a palm strike. After making a bit of noise, he quickly removed his mask, altered his physique, changed back into his original clothes, and lay down in a familiar spot.

’Mission accomplished!’

Lying on the ground, Chen Ping’an listened intently for any sounds from the stone chamber while replaying the recent events in his mind.

’Those in the Grandmaster Realm don’t just perceive the world with their eyes. Under Spiritual Sensing, a common mask is completely useless for concealing one’s aura.’

’Techniques like shapeshifting would have even less of a chance of fooling a Jade Balance Grandmaster.’

’However, I had already thoroughly assessed Gu Qingchan’s condition while forcing the Ten Thousand Demon Blood Fiend from her body. Her Spiritual Energy is in disarray and couldn’t possibly be gathered again so quickly. The entire exchange, from the moment she awoke to the moment I left, lasted less than ten breaths. In such a short time, she had no opportunity to use her Spiritual Energy to sense anything about me.’

’And against mortal sight alone, my concealment methods were more than sufficient.’

’Gu Qingchan’s injuries are severe; she’ll need some time to recuperate before she can move. I can use that time lag to my advantage, playing both roles.’

’Of course, the plan has some holes, but it’s the best possible way to handle the current situation.’

’As for plot holes—like why my alter ego appeared here, my motive for saving Gu Qingchan, or what sort of conspiracy is afoot—the more I say, the more I could get wrong. It’s better to say nothing at all. I’ll just let Gu Qingchan’s imagination fill in the blanks.’

’As for whether Gu Qingchan will actually keep my existence a secret, I have no way of knowing, despite my request. But at the very least, this maneuver should divert some attention away from my true self and delay my eventual exposure.’

’The absolute worst-case scenario is that my ruse will fail and my alter ego will be exposed. But even that will buy me a large chunk of time to grow stronger.’

’By the time my Grandmaster Realm is revealed, I might have already broken through to an entirely new level of power.’

Chen Ping’an lay on the ground, running through his calculations for a moment before he heard movement from the stone chamber. He adjusted his vital signs, maintaining the appearance of unconsciousness. The most difficult part of faking a coma in front of a Grandmaster was concealing one’s aura. But on that front, with the help of his Golden Finger Panel, Chen Ping’an could hide it perfectly.

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