Mutual Redemption with the Villainous Boss [Infinite] - Chapter 35

Red Witch Society?

Zhu Ci and Tong Lexi exchanged a glance.

The Great Priest’s arrival in the village proved that the plot was starting to move, and the mark on Tong Lexi’s arm was something only the Great Priest understood. To remove it, they had to follow the plot.

But Zhu Ci was cautious. She was unwilling to get involved in any cause and effect, merely stating she would consider it.

Nuobu picked up the dining tray with some effort, nodded, and left rather cheerfully.

Tong Lexi asked, “Zhu Ci, in previous dungeons, everyone went to the Red Witch Society. I’m a little scared…”

“Rest first. We’ll wait and see tomorrow.”

Near noon, after breakfast had been delivered, Tatalina finally came to knock on their door.

“The Great Priest will arrive tonight. They are currently setting up the stage and preparing ingredients. Would the guests like to join in?”

Tong Lexi was about to agree when Zhu Ci flatly refused, “No, we won’t be going.”

Tatalina continued to persuade them: “Come along. The Great Priest prays and performs rituals for everyone. Those who contribute can receive her mercy; it only happens once every few years.”

“Is that so? Then let’s go, Zhu Ci. Everyone else is surely going. Nothing seemed to happen last time,” Tong Lexi said, her heart swayed, thinking it might be a key point for decryption.

“Then go by yourself,” Zhu Ci said unsympathetically, returning to her room and closing the door.

Tong Lexi, rebuffed and feeling a bit lose of face, rubbed her cheek and said, “Fine, I’m not going either.”

Tatalina bowed and took her leave.

At lunchtime, Zhu Ci came out of her room and sat at the table eating slowly. Tong Lexi sat to the side, stirring her soup with a spoon, looking distracted.

She bit her lip and spoke up: “Are you still angry?”

“Angry about what?” Zhu Ci replied.

“I know you enter these dungeons for my sake, but I still… I didn’t listen to you. I didn’t mean it.” She scooped a spoonful of soup into her mouth and said unclearly, “I promise, I’ll listen to whatever you say from now on.”

Zhu Ci didn’t respond. She finished her meal unhurriedly, put down her spoon, and finally said, “This afternoon, we are going to the other side of the mountain.”

Just as they were heading out, they encountered Yan Wenxue, who never left her halberd behind.

Her residence was very close, so meeting her was normal, but Jing Miaozhen, who lived with her, was not there perhaps she had gone to help set up the stage.

Yan Wenxue also saw them and raised her head in a slight nod as a greeting.

The three were heading in the same direction, all toward the Great Priest’s house.

Yan Wenxue actually initiated the conversation: “Do you have any intel regarding this dungeon? I can trade you something else for it.”

This made Zhu Ci a bit tempted.

She was about to think it over, but was unexpectedly preempted by Tong Lexi: “No, we don’t know anything.”

Yan Wenxue let out a cold laugh and stopped asking.

Zhu Ci glanced at Tong Lexi, finding her adamant denial strange.

The mountain ridge was not easy to cross. Zhu Ci’s physical stamina wasn’t particularly good, so she had to stop and rest frequently. Tong Lexi was even more winded, clutching Zhu Ci’s arm and pressing her full weight onto her.

Yan Wenxue, however, was perfectly fine. Although she was not tall and her halberd was longer than her body, she carried it with ease. She walked without any effort and soon left the two of them behind.

“She looks so much thinner than me, how is she so powerful?” Tong Lexi’s breathing was heavy, and pea-sized beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.

Zhu Ci was also struggling, but she pushed herself to speed up. If they didn’t arrive before nightfall, this trip would be meaningless.

“Ah, I can’t do it!” Tong Lexi gave up on herself and sat on the ground. “Climbing mountains is too exhausting.”

Zhu Ci saw that they were almost over this side of the mountain; she couldn’t give up now.

She threw her backpack to Tong Lexi, told her to watch it and wait there for her return.

She pressed on alone, trying to catch up with Yan Wenxue’s pace.

Once over this side of the mountain, the Great Priest’s house became much clearer, hidden within the deep forest, flickering in and out of sight.

As long as she could climb to the halfway point…

As Zhu Ci thought this, her foot slipped.

The mud on the ground was as damp as if it had just rained. With one misstep, she fell directly to the ground.

A sharp rock poked her back, and the pain made it impossible for her to get up for a moment.

Should she spend points to buy a painkiller?

But that would be too wasteful; a small injury like this would heal after a short rest.

Thinking this, she braced herself with her hands, trying to sit up.

“Are you alright?”

A voice sounded from behind her head. Zhu Ci tilted her head back, trying to see the newcomer.

The mountain breeze caused the silver ornaments on the person to sway, clashing together with a crisp sound. A blue-purple dress cinched her waist, and her jet-black hair flowed in the direction of the wind. The light shone on her back, obscuring her face; from that angle, one could only see a head full of silver.

The person asked again, “Can you get up? Do you need me to give you a hand?”

A slender hand, with fingertips like white jade, was extended before her eyes.

Zhu Ci raised her own hand, which was covered in mud, and grasped it.

The person didn’t seem to mind, gripping tightly and pulling her up from the ground.

Only then did Zhu Ci properly observe the person in front of her.

She was slightly taller than Zhu Ci, with long hair reaching her waist and back. The top of her hair was styled in a simple bun, pinned with various silver hair ornaments. Her complexion was fair and rosy, and her face was so beautiful it made one’s breath catch.

The person did not let go. She pulled Zhu Ci’s hand toward her, took a handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped it.

“Your clothes are covered in mud. My house is nearby; would you like to go have a wash and change your clothes?” the person suggested, her movements never stopping.

Feeling awkward, Zhu Ci withdrew her hand. She saw a fleeting look of loneliness in the person’s eyes before it returned to normal.

She hurried to compensate: “No need, thank you. I just took the wrong path. I’ll be heading back soon.”

She was afraid the person might notice something unusual. If it was just an NPC, that was fine, but if it was an RM in the dungeon, it would be a very unlucky coincidence.

The person smiled, adding another layer of exquisite beauty to her face: “Don’t mention it. It’s really close. My name is Dilireba. What is your name? Are you a tourist?”

As soon as Zhu Ci finished saying her name, she was led away by the hand without further argument. The woman pulled her toward the mountain, insisting that she change into a fresh set of clothes.

Judging by the light, it was about three in the afternoon; she could afford to waste a little time.

However, as they walked, they approached the Great Priest’s house.

Could this person be the Great Priest?

When they were almost there, Dilireba changed direction and headed behind the house.

Before them was a vast field of flowers.

Blue flowers were in full bloom, swaying gently with the wind, with countless butterflies dancing among the blossoms. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.

“These are Blue Feather Flowers. They only bloom in the wild mountains here.”

She introduced them to Zhu Ci, her expression very soft.

Behind the flower field was a small bamboo hut, consisting of only one floor elevated on bamboo stilts.

Entering the house, Zhu Ci used the simple facilities to take a quick shower. While she wrapped herself in a towel, Dilireba, who had been waiting outside, already had replacement clothes ready.

Seeing her wrapped only in a towel, Dilireba lowered her head in slight embarrassment.

But Zhu Ci didn’t notice. She turned her back directly in front of her and put on the complex local attire.

She didn’t realize that the person behind her was already feeling lightheaded, nearly having a nosebleed.

Once she changed into the same blue-purple long dress, it was unexpectedly easy to move in. She said to Dilireba, “Thank you, but I really have things to do and must go. I’ll come back next time and return the clothes after washing them.”

“It’s no matter, you can wear them,” Dilireba said with a full smile. “Where are you going? I’ll take you. You don’t know the way, and I happen to have nothing to do.”

I’m going to peek into the house next to yours.

Obviously, she couldn’t say that. Zhu Ci’s hair was still wet from the wash, draped over her shoulders. She wrung some water out of her hair: “Really, there’s no need. My companion is still waiting for me.”

“Is that so? You came with a friend?” Her voice turned slightly heavy.

“Yes. If I don’t go now, she’ll get worried,” Zhu Ci fabricated a lie.

Dilireba suddenly got up and went out. In less than a minute, she returned.

In her hand, she held a blue flower.

She walked up to Zhu Ci, coming extremely close, her breath almost brushing against Zhu Ci’s face.

Then, that Blue Feather Flower was tucked into the pocket over her chest.

“This village is called Blue Feather Village. The Blue Feather Flower is the symbol here. Red connects marriage, while blue connects cause and effect. If you wear it, the cause and effect will weaken, because you already possess it.”

These words left Zhu Ci somewhat bewildered, but she didn’t delve deeper, merely looking down at the flower.

After she stepped out, Dilireba stood at the doorway, watching her from afar.

It was only after she had walked quite a distance that she finally left the other woman’s line of sight.

A hand suddenly slapped her shoulder.

A strong sense of palpitations forced her to immediately summon her blade and swing backward, clashing with another weapon.

It was a halberd.

Yan Wenxue blocked her extremely fast. As the second-ranked, her speed in drawing the halberd and her reaction time were significantly faster than Zhu Ci’s.

“Don’t be so anxious, it’s me.”

Zhu Ci hurried to withdraw her blade and apologized, “I didn’t know it was you. I thought…”

“No need for words,” Yan Wenxue said proudly. Her speech was concise, as she disliked listening to nonsense. “Did you find any clues? Give me one, and I can trade with you.”

Always thinking of trading intel.

Zhu Ci decided to throw out a hook: “I actually do have something. What will you give me in exchange?”

“You tell me one, and I’ll tell you one.”

“And what if I tell you and then you don’t say anything?”

Yan Wenxue actually took a moment to think. After a while, she said, “I can go first. You look like the type who keeps their word.”

Can you really tell just by looking?

Zhu Ci tilted her chin, gesturing for her to proceed. Yan Wenxue produced a simple device that looked like an alarm clock.

“This is a polygraph. It can increase the credibility of the intel between us. Of course, if I lie, it will light up.”

Yan Wenxue took a deep breath and prepared herself: “I just went to the Great Priest’s house. No one was there, but I found a notebook. Although I can’t read it, I feel it is critically important, so I stole it.”

She shook the notebook she had been holding.

“You stole it? What if the Great Priest notices?” Zhu Ci found it hard to believe.

“Once I use a translator to translate it, I’ll put it back. I’ll tell you the contents immediately. Alright, your turn.” With that, she held the polygraph under Zhu Ci’s gaze.

Zhu Ci pondered for a moment and said: “You must never agree to, or respond to, any question asked by the villagers.”

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