Lord Renxiong

Liu Lang and Xiao Rong returned to the camp to find it decked out in festive decorations, with an atmosphere of jubilation everywhere.

"Rescue is coming! Rescue is coming!"
"We’ve made contact! We’ve finally connected with the outside world!"
"It’s almost over! It’s finally ending!"

Liu Lang grabbed a man who was dancing with joy to ask what had happened.

"Don't you know? We’ve restored communication with the outside world! The camp leaders have already notified everyone that rescue is on its way!" The man burst into happy tears after saying this.

It was hard to count how many had died at the hands of the ninjas or the monsters. To the helpless ordinary people, this period had been like living in purgatory.

When Liu Feier heard that Liu Lang had returned, she rushed out, wishing she could give him a fierce kiss. But then she saw Xiao Rong holding her lover's hand. Her throat felt as if it were pricked by needles, and her eyes welled up with tears. She froze amidst the joyful crowd, her foot suspended in mid-air, unsure whether to step forward or pull back.

Xiao Rong, sharp-eyed, noticed someone watching them. Seeing the resentful rival, she curled her lips slightly and took the initiative to link her arm through Liu Lang’s.

Liu Feier’s expression dimmed, her heart feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy blow. But the next second, meeting Xiao Rong’s gaze, she glared back fiercely, thinking, "I cannot admit defeat!"

Liu Lang looked up at the sky, feeling restless. The moment he had returned to the camp, he had sensed Liu Feier’s heartbeat and had been desperate to find her. Yet, he didn't dare. Because, apart from her, he had grown close to Xiao Rong for quite some time, and he felt ashamed, not knowing how to face her. He used to be able to vow that he loved Liu Feier, but now he wasn't sure what love truly was, or if his feelings even qualified as such.

"Hey, the gossip session is over. It’s time to talk business." Lan Hua patted Dong Feng and Daili. The three of them had been hiding to the side, observing for a while.

"Hahaha, welcome back, Saintess. Welcome back, Liu Lang," Daili said with a hearty laugh, walking up to greet them.

Dong Feng and Lan Hua also clapped their hands as they stepped forward. "We received news from Tianjing. The transmitter was taken there during the Ghost Bride incident, and they’ve already obtained top-secret intelligence!"

"Although the Ghost Domain is still under lockdown, the outside world must have made breakthrough progress; communication equipment can interact now."

Daili gave Liu Feier a look, signaling for her to go to the laboratory—who knew what would happen if those two stayed together? "Everyone, let’s head to the conference room. Please, Saintess, tell us exactly what happened in the Secret Realm."

Liu Feier ignored the advice and walked toward the conference room with them. Lan Hua gave her a secret thumbs-up, while Dong Feng, putting himself in Liu Lang’s shoes, felt a sudden chill, as if facing some unknown, terrifying horror.

Elsewhere, Mizukage Meijin was surprised to find that after regaining consciousness, he was already outside the Secret Realm. Even more unexpectedly, his two companions were both on guard against him.

"What happened? Where is Xu Fu?"

Misuke and Harusakura exchanged looks. Had he really turned back to normal?

"Answer me, who is the person you have a secret crush on!" Misuke demanded loudly.

Mizukage Meijin hadn't expected the kid to pull something like this—had he lost his mind?

"Answer me quickly!" Misuke was already preparing to attack, though his strikes posed little threat.

Realizing something was wrong, Mizukage Meijin had no choice but to provide an answer that only he and Misuke knew: "Rei Ayanami."

Harusakura covered her mouth in surprise. "I never expected you to like her. Wait!" Seeing Mizukage Meijin’s "is that enough for you?" expression, she immediately became alert again. "Who did you peep at in the village women’s bathhouse back in the day?"

Mizukage Meijin’s face darkened, but he eventually gave the honest answer that only he and Harusakura knew: "Orihime Inoue."

Misuke covered his mouth in shock. "You actually did something like that? And here you are, always going on about prestigious families."

"You’re finally back!" the two said in unison, unable to help but rush forward and hug him. It wouldn't have mattered if a partner had died, but being replaced was a fate worse than death.

"What about that guy?" they asked again in unison.

Mizukage Meijin was bewildered. "I don’t know."

An ancient voice echoed in his head: "You little brats, I suggest you keep your mouths shut. The Nin-Shin is almost here."

Nin-Shin? Lord Nin-Yu? And who is in my head?

"I am Xu Fu, you foolish boy. I advise you not to reveal anything about me, or all three of you will be dealt with by the Nin-Shin. As for why I’m in your head—I was severely injured saving you from the Secret Realm, and I had no choice but to hide inside your body... He is here."

Mizukage Meijin stopped the chatterbox Harusakura, and Misuke read the unusual tension in his expression. In the quiet forest, there was only the rustling of wind through the leaves. A thin, small old man appeared in their field of vision, wearing an oversized kimono that seemed ill-fitting, his sleeves fluttering in the breeze.

"That is..." Mizukage Meijin squinted. The old man was wearing a belt with a bronze buckle and walked toward them in wooden clogs.

The bronze-buckled belt was the long-inherited proof of identity for the Nin-Yu. With their status, they couldn't possibly know the face of the Nin-Yu, but the bronze buckle was something every ninja kept etched in their hearts.

"Lord Nin-Yu!" The three ninjas knelt on one knee.

Nin-Yu nodded slightly and stroked his goatee. "Tell me everything you saw."

He exerted no pressure, but the reverence rooted in their hearts made the three ninjas press their foreheads to the ground long before he asked. Beyond the history of Xu Fu and the origin of ninjas, Mizukage Meijin told Nin-Yu everything he had seen and heard, and he even offered up the jade talismans they had collected with both hands. His decision to withhold certain details was purely a matter of intuition.

After listening, Nin-Yu remained expressionless, only saying faintly, "The heritage of the Land of China is truly profound."

"Golden Core cultivation?" Xu Fu muttered to himself in Mizukage Meijin’s head. This terrified him; in his worldview, the Nin-Yu was a figure of supreme standing. What if he were detected speaking freely in his mind?

Xu Fu scoffed disdainfully, "A frog in a well. Still, one of the three lineages I founded shouldn't be limited to just the Golden Core stage. Where did it go wrong..."

Nin-Yu didn't perform any hand seals; he simply reached out and placed his hands on the backs of Misuke and Harusakura. Green fluorescent light emanated from his palms, and the two felt a warm current flow into their bodies, cleansing them of fatigue and hidden injuries.

"Medical Ninjutsu? Is the Nin-Yu a medical ninja?" Mizukage Meijin was extremely surprised. Except for medical ninjas, ordinary ninjas did not practice medical arts.

"You say the Susanoo bloodline appeared in a Chinese man?" After healing Misuke and Harusakura, Nin-Yu pinched the tip of his goatee. "Interesting. Mizukage boy, do you know where that Chinese man is? Take me to see him."