Exchanging Secrets

Chapter: Exchanging Secrets

However, the border inspection of the Heaven Dou Empire was not an issue that could be brushed off with a simple lie like "where do you plan to stay in the future."

At the border crossing, a long line had already formed. Every person leaving the country had to press their hand against something resembling a crystal ball, which would then report that person's Soul Power Level. This was precisely a modified version of the martial soul awakening instrument.

Huo Yuhao quickly guessed the purpose behind this. He whispered to his two companions, "They aren't letting soul masters pass."

Chi Qiu nodded. She had also noticed that for the few people ahead who passed through smoothly, the crystal ball did not report a Soul Power Level, meaning those individuals had not become soul masters.

Wang Dong also realized it quickly. With the current tense relations between the two nations and their shared borders, the Sun Moon Empire was precisely lacking in soul masters; the Heaven Dou Empire naturally wouldn't just hand over combat power to them.

"What do we do?" she asked.

Huo Yuhao gave a mysterious smile, then lowered his voice further, "That's actually simple. Come to think of it, Wang Dong hasn't seen my second soul skill yet."

"You obtained your second soul ring?"

"Correct. Part of the reason I disappeared this time was to go get that soul ring."

As he spoke, seeing that the line was about to reach the three of them, Huo Yuhao narrowed his eyes, and a faint, imperceptible golden light flashed across the depths of his pupils.

"Next," the inspector shouted.

Huo Yuhao walked forward with composure, handed over his token, and then placed his hand on the crystal ball without a hint of fear. The crystal ball didn't even light up, which indicated that the person using it had not only failed to become a soul master but possessed absolutely no talent for it.

The inspector waved his hand, signaling that he had passed.

Chi Qiu followed, walking through the entire process just as calmly, without any issues. Although Wang Dong looked a bit hesitant, because the crystal ball remained completely unresponsive, the inspector let her pass as well.

During this process, Huo Yuhao had been standing not far from the checkpoint. The range of his Simulation soul skill was not very large yet; if he had stood any further away, the two behind him would have been exposed.

"So the skill that ice silkworm gave you can simulate to this extent," Chi Qiu remarked. "I was wondering how the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm managed to escape so smoothly back then."

In a place where Chi Qiu couldn't hear, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was throwing a tantrum in Huo Yuhao's Sea of Consciousness. Huo Yuhao pointed at himself, "As my soul power grows, the simulation effect will become even stronger. This skill is truly a divine ability."

"Wait, doesn't that mean Brother Huo could actually keep us invisible while we travel?" Wang Dong leaned over.

Huo Yuhao slapped his forehead, "It seems so. It looks like we could have just walked right through while invisible..."

He had been too busy being mysterious and playing coy; he should have told Wang Dong sooner. This was just a bit of youthful vanity at play.

"It's fine," Chi Qiu patted his shoulder. "Your soul power isn't high enough yet. If you had tried to force your way through while invisible, you might have been discovered by a powerhouse. In any case, the current path was the safest."

"Mm..."

By now, night had completely fallen. They had just crossed the border and were still some distance from Mingdu, so they planned to follow their original schedule and find a guesthouse to stay for the night.

These border cities were areas with high foot traffic; the streets were packed with endless crowds, and every inn and station was brightly lit. Having never been to such a place, Huo Yuhao stood by the street, overwhelmed by the sights, his eyes dazzled for a moment.

"So many people... will there still be empty rooms?" Huo Yuhao touched his ear in confusion, one of his small habits when he was at a loss.

"If it really comes to it, we can just find a place to cultivate for the night," Chi Qiu clearly found dealing with large crowds difficult as well. "We are soul masters; cultivating at night counts as resting."

"So this is the Sun Moon Empire... it's so lively," Huo Yuhao said, looking left and right for a place for Chi Qiu to cultivate, unable to help but exclaim. "The style of Shrek City is too specialized for soul masters; this place is more like a city where ordinary people live."

"It's said that the quality of martial souls native to the Sun Moon Empire is generally lower, so they don't hold soul masters in such high regard," Wang Dong took on the role of providing the explanation.

"How about..." Huo Yuhao looked toward the woods at the end of these streets and gave Chi Qiu a look.

Although they were in a foreign land and unfamiliar with the surroundings, when it came to their sanctuary for cultivation, it was surely the strange yet familiar woods.

"Alright," Chi Qiu smiled at him. "It just so happens that since we haven't seen Wang Dong in so long, there must be many things suitable to talk about in a quiet place."

"So you're saying you picked up a second martial soul and a torso bone in the Extreme North for free?!"

Wang Dong's shout startled a flock of crows from the branches deep within the quiet woods. Her jaw nearly dropped, "Brother Huo, you... where did you pick up that Ice Jade Scorpion? I want to go lie down there too."

"I wouldn't call it picking it up for free," Huo Yuhao scratched his head, tossing a piece of dry wood into the campfire before them. "My back hurt for quite a while; I suspect it was caused by the soul bone fusing while I was unconscious..."

Huo Yuhao still held back regarding the Ice Empress, not telling the whole truth, and revealed a mix of fact and fiction to Wang Dong. When he displayed his soul rings, he naturally used his Simulation soul skill.

Up until now, the only person who had seen his blood-red soul ring with its four golden patterns was Chi Qiu, who had accompanied him the entire time.

"Alright," Huo Yuhao clapped the charcoal dust off his hands and looked at Wang Dong's face, which flickered in the firelight. "I said you had to exchange one of your secrets for mine; hand it over now."

"Fine," Wang Dong was quite straightforward. With a flick of her right hand, a simple, ancient-looking hammer appeared in her palm.

"What is this?" Huo Yuhao didn't react for a moment, but Chi Qiu, looking at the hammer, froze and spoke its name: "Clear Sky Hammer?"

"Clear Sky Hammer!" Prompted by her, Huo Yuhao also realized what it was. He had some memories from reading those cheap novels; that legendary Sea God Tang San had a martial soul that was the Clear Sky Hammer.

"Good thing you recognize it!" Wang Dong grinned, swinging the hammer in her hand. "It's said that no one from our sect has left the mountain in ten thousand years; I thought everyone had forgotten about it."

"Then the recommendation letter I used to bypass the exam was from the Clear Sky Sect?" Huo Yuhao suddenly remembered this.

"Ha! Of course I wouldn't just give it to a stranger; actually, I stole it from the elder who escorted me here..."

"No wonder you were acting so sneaky that day; so you really were feeling guilty," Chi Qiu added a sharp remark without mercy.

"Stop it," Wang Dong hurriedly shook her head, then sat back down cross-legged. "How is the weight of this secret?"

"Enough," Huo Yuhao nodded, feigning maturity. "It qualifies."

"Miss Qiu hasn't told us her story yet. How about I trade another one of my secrets for one of Miss Qiu's?" Wang Dong seemed to be getting excited.

As soon as these words were spoken, Huo Yuhao immediately cast a worried look toward Chi Qiu. As someone living under the guise of a human, her greatest secret was naturally her true identity. However, Chi Qiu didn't seem flustered at all by being asked about her weak point; she said:

"Fine, you show me your next secret first, and I'll give you one of equal weight in return."

Wang Dong looked like she was determined to win. She stood up abruptly and traced a finger across the gold-blue butterfly emblem on her chest. A burst of golden mist enveloped her, and the next second, as the light dissipated, standing before Huo Yuhao and Chi Qiu was a young girl with long, powder-blue hair.

"Actually, I'm a girl." Her face practically screamed, "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Huo Yuhao: "Oh."

Chi Qiu: "Mm."

"What kind of reaction is that?!" Wang Dong squatted down in disbelief, shaking the two people who remained completely unmoved. "Right, also, my name is actually Wang Dong'er..."

"Wang Dong sounds better," Chi Qiu commented while being shaken.

"You guys...!"

In the end, Huo Yuhao was the first to break. "Um, actually, we've known your gender for a long time."

"Huh?"

"There were actually many giveaways," Chi Qiu took over the conversation smoothly.

"Huh?!"

"This secret doesn't carry much weight."

"It's not as good as the Clear Sky Hammer."

Wang Dong watched Huo Yuhao and Chi Qiu singing in harmony, clearly not expecting this turn of events.

"Doesn't that mean I won't be able to trade for Miss Qiu's secret? And I spent so long preparing myself mentally!"

Chi Qiu laughed twice, seemingly happy from the bottom of her heart. "It's fine. Since you know I lived in Star Dou when I was little anyway, I'll trade you some gossip about the Beast God Di Tian."

Far away at the Lake of Life, a certain Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King let out a massive sneeze.