"What do you think Evan Chu went to do? He actually snuck out alone behind our backs?" Princess Ivy laughed as she asked Faye Knox and the others.
"He must've gone to meet that woman from Skyweb. Let's just go check out our rooms—he'll tell us the results himself when he gets back." Faye Knox replied with a smile.
After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, Evan Chu soared straight into the sky. With a single teleport, he appeared atop a small mountain, where a lone figure was already standing quietly. It was a woman; the mountain wind lifted her hair, and, perhaps sensing Evan Chu's arrival, she slowly turned to face him.
"You got here fast. What made you think to have me wait for you here?" The woman smiled at Evan Chu.
"Because it's quiet here. No one will interrupt our conversation. Tell me—who are you, really? You might fool them, but you can't fool me. A Fifth-Layer Venerable is rare in the Netherworld, especially a woman. An organization like Skyweb shouldn't have someone like you." Evan Chu said calmly.
A flicker of surprise flashed across the woman's face, but it vanished almost instantly. Evan Chu caught it clearly, and that moment of surprise confirmed his suspicions.
In truth, Evan Chu didn't actually know her true cultivation—Luna, his Sword Spirit, had told him. Back on the streets of Shadowlin City, when Evan Chu was about to leave, Luna warned him that this woman was far from simple and urged him to get to the bottom of it. That was why he arranged to meet her atop this mountain.
"Who I am doesn't really matter to you. But I can at least put your mind at ease—I'm aware that you'll soon be leaving here and returning to your own world. Am I right?" The woman smiled, her gaze fixed intently on Evan Chu.
"Be careful, Evan Chu. This woman can read minds—she's definitely not simple. Mind-reading isn't something that should exist in your world, even if she's only at the beginner level. It's extremely abnormal for it to appear here," Luna suddenly warned.
Evan Chu didn't answer her right away. Instead, he walked to the edge of the cliff, letting the mountain wind wash over him as if communing with nature. After a long moment, he finally spoke: "Where did you get your mind-reading art? You've got guts, using it on me. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? Aren't you afraid I'll kill you for it?"
Evan Chu had his back to the woman, so she couldn't see his expression. But after hearing his words, she couldn't help but take a step back. "You won't kill me—if you wanted to, you'd have done it already. What I don't get is how you knew I could read minds? No one in this world should know about mind-reading. Who are you, really?"
"Answer my question—where did you get your mind-reading art? This isn't something that should exist in the Netherworld. It's a bit like charm arts, but far more advanced; it lets you silently pry into people's secrets. You can relax, I'm not hostile—otherwise I wouldn't be calmly talking to you here.
If you think you can escape from me, you're wrong. In the Netherworld, maybe only the mysterious figure inside the Death-Tower Grounds poses a threat to me; everyone else is beneath my notice. Zander Xiang is the most direct example," Evan Chu said.
"Do you really want me to be the Human King? You trust me that much?" the woman asked, clearly trying to dodge Evan Chu's question.
"You already know, so why ask? Isn't your mind-reading art amazing? Can you tell what I'm thinking right now?" Evan Chu wasn't angry that she hadn't answered his question.
"Alright, I get it—you aren't ordinary. Otherwise you wouldn't be this strong at your age. My name is Lillian Zhang, but you can call me Sister Lillian. I got my mind-reading art and most of my cultivation from the place you most want to go. Is that answer good enough for you?" the woman said.
"Lillian Zhang? Not a bad name. If I remember right, that place is a nine-deaths-one-life forbidden ground. The fact you could improve your power there is pretty unbelievable. Can you tell me what it's like inside?" Evan Chu's interest was piqued—just as Luna had warned, this woman was anything but simple.
"I can tell you, but you have to promise to make me Human King. With your strength, it shouldn't be hard. Don't think I'm forcing you—according to what I know, only two people have ever entered the Death-Tower and come out alive. One of them, you've already killed. The other is me.
You should understand what I mean. The only people who've actually entered the Death-Tower inside the Death-Tower Grounds and walked out again are me and Zander Xiang. If it hadn't been for me, he wouldn't have made it out. If you want to go to the Death-Tower, I can go with you. I'd say that's pretty sincere!" Lillian Zhang said.
"That's sincere enough—even if I wanted to refuse, I couldn't. Alright, come back to the City Lord's Mansion with me. Tomorrow, we'll go straight to the royal capital and make your Human King status official. Once I find my other friend, I'll go with you to the Death-Tower Grounds." Evan Chu smiled.
Evan Chu hadn't expected Lillian Zhang to bring him such a pleasant surprise. Even though he could enter the Death-Tower Grounds on his own, he'd probably take many wrong turns or run into trouble. With her help, everything would go much more smoothly.
With a flash, Evan Chu teleported back to the skies above the City Lord's Mansion. After a few breaths, Lillian Zhang arrived as well. She glanced at Evan Chu and said, "Your speed is incredible—far beyond what I imagined."
"Come on, the banquet should be ready by now. I arranged it just to welcome you!" Evan Chu said with a smile.
Back in the main hall, Princess Ivy, Ethan Fenn, and the others were already inside. They'd set up a huge round table covered with dozens of delicious dishes—and of course, plenty of wine.
Seeing Lillian Zhang following Evan Chu so closely, everyone felt a bit surprised. When Evan Chu left, he'd mentioned the possibility of making her Human King, but no one expected her to show up at his side so quickly.
"Have a seat, Lillian! These are all my friends—you don't need to be formal. A Human King should act the part, but it'd be best not to use your special skill on them." Evan Chu said.
"Hello everyone, I'm Lillian Zhang. I think Evan Chu has already told you why he brought me back. That's right—I'm the next Human King he's chosen, and I'm confident I can do the job well." Lillian Zhang said.
Sean Xiao glanced at her and was instantly shocked. At this moment, Lillian Zhang revealed her true power: late Fifth-Layer Venerable Martial Realm. For a moment, he couldn't react at all.
"Alright, let's all raise a glass to welcome Lillian!" Evan Chu lifted his wine cup toward her.
Just then, a noisy commotion erupted outside the main hall. It sounded like the guards were clashing with intruders. Evan Chu frowned slightly and said, "They sure got here fast."