The karst cave extended in all directions, and there were room-like caves inside. With a little modification, it became a room.
Zhou Shu didn't worry about anything else, but he had instructed them to build a few forging rooms from the beginning.
To Zhou Shu, forging was basic. He couldn't be careless about this.
To deal with the Demon Realm, the only advantage humans had was their weapons.
After exchanging a few more words with Shi Songtao, Zhou Shu left the storeroom, planning to take a look at the forging room.
Zhou Shu hadn't walked far when he bumped into Mi Ziwen.
Mi Ziwen had a relaxed smile on his face. "Second Brother, we found an underground river up ahead. The water in the river is very clear and can be drunk directly. And there are actually fish in the river!"
Mi Ziwen was very happy. After the supplies stored by the Great Demon Yao Lian were exhausted, the army was faced with a lack of food. Now that they had discovered such an underground river, the army finally didn't have to worry about dying of thirst and hunger.
"Really? That's wonderful." Zhou Shu smiled. The cave Yao Lian had discovered was really a treasure.
"General Wang Xin seems to have discovered another exit. He's gone out to investigate with his men," Mi Ziwen continued.
"What?" Zhou Shu frowned. "Didn't I say not to leave the cave easily? What if we encounter demonic beasts?"
"He's going out alone. It should be okay," Mi Ziwen said. He had tried to dissuade Wang Xin, but Wang Xin had insisted on going. The two of them were not in a superior-subordinate relationship, so Mi Ziwen couldn't control him.
But he also felt that with Wang Xin's second-rank martial arts cultivation, as long as he didn't encounter a first-rank demonic beast, he shouldn't be in too much danger. After all, he was only secretly going out to investigate.
"Then, where is the exit? Show me," Zhou Shu said solemnly.
One could never be too careful.
If the demonic beasts discovered this cave, they would have to kill them. This place couldn't be exposed yet.
Seeing Zhou Shu's serious expression, Mi Ziwen didn't say anything more. "Second Brother, come with me."
The exit Wang Xin had discovered was very far from the place where the army was stationed.
Zhou Shu followed Mi Ziwen around. After walking for dozens of kilometers, he saw light ahead.
Rustle!
The two of them ducked through a bush and then felt their vision brighten. They had actually emerged from a mountain wall.
The bushes on the mountain wall covered the hole.
If they passed by outside, they would definitely not be able to easily discover this cave entrance.
Actually, even if someone discovered it, no one would care under normal circumstances. After all, there were countless caves in the mountains. Who would pay attention to this one?
"Wang Xin!"
As soon as they came out, Zhou Shu looked around and saw Wang Xin squatting on the ground nearby.
Zhou Shu arrived beside Wang Xin in a flash and saw a young girl lying on the ground.
The girl's eyes were tightly shut, and her long eyelashes were still quivering. A pained expression kept flashing across her face.
"What happened?" Zhou Shu subconsciously looked around and spread out his divine sense.
After a moment, he breathed a sigh of relief. There were no signs of demonic beasts around. This area looked like a barren mountain, and there were not many signs of demonic beast activity. It looked like they were in luck.
"I don't know why there's someone here either," Wang Xin said. "She was here when I came out. It looks like she was injured—"
"Are you sure she's a human?" Zhou Shu said angrily. "Haven't you seen a humanoid demonic beast before?"
"But I think she really does seem like a human," Wang Xin said weakly.
Zhou Shu looked at Wang Xin strangely. Something was wrong with Wang Xin. Could it be that he had taken a fancy to this demonic beast?
Zhou Shu looked down. The demonic beast lying on the ground, or rather, the humanoid demonic beast, had a slender and graceful figure. Even as she lay there, Zhou Shu could tell that she had an excellent figure.
Her palm-sized face and skin were so fair that even with her eyes closed, she was extremely beautiful.
Using a phrase from Zhou Shu's previous life to describe her, she was an extremely beautiful big-breasted loli!
Could she be Wang Xin's type??Zhou Shu complained in his heart.
"Whether she's a human or not, let's kill her." Zhou Shu's eyes flashed coldly.
"No!" Two voices spoke at once.
It was Wang Xin and Mi Ziwen who stopped him at the same time.
Zhou Shu looked at the two of them in confusion. Forget about Wang Xin. Could it be that his big brother liked this type too?
But that wasn't right. Wang Xin didn't get close to women in the past, but his big brother used to visit the brothel often. He didn't seem like someone who would be so affected by a beauty.
This was the Demon Realm. No matter how beautiful she was, she was still a demonic beast. It was always right to kill her.
"Why?" Zhou Shu looked at the two of them. "Even if she's good-looking, she's a demonic beast. Do I need to tell you how dangerous demonic beasts are?"
Chapter 449: I Am Your Great-Grandmother (1)
"Second Brother, it's really not because she's beautiful," Mi Ziwen said awkwardly. After all, it was a little embarrassing for him to comment on a woman's beauty in front of his sworn brother.
"Second Brother, think about it. This place looks completely deserted. Why would a weak-looking woman suddenly appear?" Mi Ziwen said solemnly. "I think we should wait until she wakes up and question her properly."
"Yes, Your Highness. I really don't think she's a demonic beast," Wang Xin chimed in. "Look, she's even carrying a short sword. Demonic beasts don't use weapons."
Wang Xin pointed at the woman's waist. Sure enough, there was a foot-long short sword hanging from her waist.
"Who told you that demonic beasts don't use weapons?" Zhou Shu said in annoyance.
Yao Qing only knew how to use weapons.
He wondered if Yao Qing had left the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament space yet, and Yao Buqi as well.
Speaking of which, Zhou Shu was still a little reluctant to leave Yao Buqi. It was difficult to find such an obedient demonic beast.
But when he left the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament space, Zhou Shu had left them there. As for whether they could leave before the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament space collapsed, that would depend on their luck.
No matter how ambitious Zhou Shu was, he didn't dare to bring Yao Buqi and his group with him to the Demon Realm.
If they did anything, the Ten Nations Alliance couldn't afford to take any risk.
"This is the Demon Realm. If she's not a demonic beast, could she be a human?" Zhou Shu said angrily. "Wang Xin, Wang Xin, have you been single for too long that your brain doesn't work well when you see a beauty?"
"I'm not—" Wang Xin blushed and straightened his neck.
...
"No need to explain," Zhou Shu interrupted. "When a man grows up, he should get married. It's normal for you to be like this. I'll tell General Wang later that it's time to find you a wife. There are also some female generals in our Ten Nations Alliance, and I think a few of them are quite compatible with you."
Back then, at the start of the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament, Lu Wenshuang had led an army of women, and there were still hundreds of them who survived.
No matter how thick-skinned Wang Xin was, his face turned red from Zhou Shu's words, and he was at a loss.
"Since neither of you feel we should kill her, let's take her back first." Zhou Shu waved his hand.
Before he could finish, he heard a moan, and the person on the ground opened her eyes.
There was a hint of confusion in her big eyes, making her look a little cute.
Zhou Shu frowned slightly. This person's eyes weren't red!
In the Demon Realm, the descendants of Great Demons could transform into human form after reaching the first rank, just like Yao Qing and Yao Buqi. From their appearance, they were basically no different from humans.
The only difference was that their eyes were red.
This was also how Zhou Shu and the others had distinguished between humans and humanoid demonic beasts.
The woman in front of him had clear, bright eyes, no different from human eyes.
Could she really be human and not a demonic beast?
Wang Xin excitedly said to Zhou Shu, "Your Highness, her eyes!"
The woman appeared startled. She parted her red lips and spoke. "Are you… humans?"
Her voice matched her appearance perfectly. It was crisp and pleasant to the ear.
"That's right," Wang Xin said. "Miss, you're also a human? Why are you in the Demon Realm?"
"I should be asking you this. Why are you in the Demon Realm?" The woman looked vigilant. Her hand was already on the hilt of the short sword at her waist. Her body lit up slightly, revealing the aura of a first-rank martial artist.
"It's a long story. We came from the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament space," Wang Xin blurted out before Zhou Shu could stop him.
Zhou Shu's face darkened. In the past, he had felt that Wang Xin was a very reliable worker. Was he bewitched now?
This woman's identity was unknown. Why was he telling her so much?
"Identify yourself, or don't blame me for being merciless!" Zhou Shu snorted coldly and unsheathed the earth-grade Great Destroyer Sword with a clang. He leaned on the sword with his hand, his aura contained.
Like a startled rabbit, the woman floated up and retreated several meters. Her face was wary, her eyes filled with panic.
Her pitiful look made Wang Xin's and Mi Ziwen's hearts tighten.
"Wang—" Wang Xin wanted to say something, but Zhou Shu glared at him, and he shrank back in embarrassment.
The woman stared straight at Zhou Shu and suddenly said, "You cultivate the Emperor Xuan Jade Book?"
Zhou Shu frowned slightly. Emperor Xuan Jade Book?
It took him a moment to react. That's right. He had indeed cultivated the Emperor Xuan Jade Book!
Speaking of which, Zhou Shu's spiritual essence cultivation base was based on the Emperor Xuan Jade Book he had obtained from the imperial family of Great Xia.
But his Martial Dao foundation was mostly based on the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique, the Golden Bell Shield Technique, and the God of War Catalog. And now, he had the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, so he had never taken the Emperor Xuan Jade Book seriously.
He didn't expect this woman to be able to see through the source of his spiritual essence.
Before Zhou Shu could answer, a golden light suddenly lit up on the woman's body.
Zhou Shu's pupils constricted. "You also know the Emperor Xuan Jade Book?"
Although he had never paid much attention to the Emperor Xuan Jade Book, it was still the foundation of his spiritual essence. The aura emitted by this woman showed that she actually cultivated the Emperor Xuan Jade Book. Zhou Shu would never mistake this!
Chapter 450: I Am Your Great-Grandmother (2)
In the Demon Realm, Zhou Shu had inexplicably encountered a woman who was suspected to be human, and she even knew the Emperor Xuan Jade Book. This made Zhou Shu feel ridiculous.
He didn't even know how such a thing could happen.
"Who exactly are you?" Zhou Shu said coldly.
"You cultivate the Emperor Xuan Jade Book, so you should be a member of the Yin family, right?" A strange glint flashed across the woman's eyes. "Then, you should have heard of the name Yin Yuzhu."
The woman raised her head slightly and puffed out her chest, as if she felt that as long as she said this name, Zhou Shu and the other two should express their admiration.
But Zhou Shu and the other two's reactions were completely different from what she had expected.
"You don't know about me?" The woman looked incredulous when Zhou Shu didn't respond. "You're a descendant of the Yin family. How can you not know me?"
"Is it strange that I don't know about you? My surname isn't Yin." Zhou Shu frowned.
The woman also frowned. "Your surname isn't Yin? How is that possible? You clearly cultivate the Emperor Xuan Jade Book, and—"
"And what?" Zhou Shu said.
"It's nothing. The Emperor Xuan Jade Book is the legacy of my Yin family. If your surname isn't Yin, how did you learn it? Could it be that my Great Xia's Yin family no longer exists?" The woman gripped the hilt of her sword tightly and stared at Zhou Shu with hostility, looking like she would draw her sword at any moment.
Zhou Shu was naturally not afraid of this woman's threat. She was only a first-rank martial artist, and he could easily defeat her.
But, this woman who called herself Yin Yuzhu seemed to have a deep relationship with the imperial family of Great Xia. She might even be Yin Wuyou's relative.
As such, Zhou Shu couldn't kill her before figuring out the situation.
"You two…" Zhou Shu looked back at Mi Ziwen and Wang Xin. "Forget it. I'll watch her. Go get Wuyou."
These two fellows were so lustful that if they watched her, they might not be able to keep an eye on this woman who called herself Yin Yuzhu.
Moreover, although Yin Yuzhu looked injured, she was still a first-rank expert. Mi Ziwen and Wang Xin were only second-rank martial artists. The two of them combined were not strong enough to fight her.
Mi Ziwen and Wang Xin looked at each other in embarrassment.
They had thought that their advancement to the second rank of the Martial Dao was already fast. In the end, it seemed that the second rank was not enough.
The two of them turned around and went back into the karst cave.
Zhou Shu couldn't block Yin Yuzhu's gaze. In any case, if she was on their side, she would find out about the existence of the karst cave sooner or later.
If she wasn't one of them, then sorry, but Zhou Shu would definitely not let her go.
Zhou Shu stared at Yin Yuzhu intently. Yin Yuzhu frowned, and a look of pain flashed across her face, as if her injuries had acted up.
"You still haven't answered me. How is my Great Xia's Yin family?" The hand holding the sword hilt was so pale that her skin was almost transparent, and her veins were bulging.
"Great Xia is doing very well, and so is the Yin family," Zhou Shu said. After a moment's thought, he added, "At least they were fine when we left."
It had been several days since he left the Ten Nations Martial Arts Tournament. He didn't know what the situation on the Ten Nations Continent was now.
Perhaps they wouldn't be destroyed so easily.
"What generation is the current emperor of Great Xia?" Yin Yuzhu frowned.
Zhou Shu glanced at her but said nothing.?I don't think you've figured out who you are, have you? Who are you to ask me?
Zhou Shu wouldn't admit it. How would he know which generation Emperor Yuan Feng was?
Zhou Shu narrowed his eyes and didn't say anything. Yin Yuzhu asked a few more questions but didn't receive any response. She frowned and walked away.
Swish!
A sword beam flew past her face. A strand of hair fell gently.
Yin Yuzhu's face turned pale as shock and anger flashed across her eyes.
"What are you doing?!" she snarled.
"If I were you, I'd stay right where I am," Zhou Shu said coldly. "Until your identity is confirmed, any actions you make will be viewed as hostile by me. There will be no hesitation from my sword."
Yin Yuzhu was shocked and furious. Blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. She glared at Zhou Shu, but she didn't dare to continue.
"What do you want?!" she roared.
"I'm getting someone to confirm your identity," Zhou Shu said coldly.
They stood facing each other at odds.
The two of them stopped talking. Zhou Shu even closed his eyes, but his divine sense was always locked onto Yin Yuzhu. As long as she made the slightest movement, she would face Zhou Shu's thunderous attack.
Before long, a rustling sound came from behind a nearby mountain wall. Then three figures emerged from the bushes.
It was Yin Wuyou, Mi Ziwen, and Wang Xin.
"Zhou Shu, are you looking for me?" Yin Wuyou used her movement technique and landed beside Zhou Shu, her eyes shining as she looked at him.
"I want you to identify someone." Zhou Shu nodded. "Wuyou, have you heard of the name Yin Yuzhu?"
Yin Wuyou thought for a moment and said, "Yin Yuzhu? I've heard of her. My great-grandmother is called Yin Yuzhu."
Mi Ziwen and Wang Xin had found her and only said that Zhou Shu had called her. They didn't tell her why.
She didn't know why Zhou Shu asked this, but she still replied.
"Yin Yuzhu is the eldest daughter of the founding ancestor of Great Xia, Emperor Xuan. She's a true heroine. I've always regarded her as my idol," Yin Wuyou continued.
"In that case, you should have seen Yin Yuzhu's portrait, right? Then come and see if this person is Yin Yuzhu." Zhou Shu pointed at Yin Yuzhu.
Only then did Yin Wuyou notice that there was actually an outsider here.
She had been so focused on Zhou Shu that she hadn't noticed that there was another person here.
"Yin Yuzhu? How is that possible?" Yin Wuyou said. "Yin Yuzhu's great-grandmother is the eldest daughter of Emperor Xuan. She lived a thousand years ago, so how could she have lived until now?"
As Yin Wuyou spoke, she turned around and was stunned.
"How is this possible?!" She cried out involuntarily.
"You're a junior of the Yin family?" Yin Yuzhu also heard something. She sized Yin Wuyou up and nodded proudly. "You're already a first-rank martial artist at such a young age. You've made the Yin family proud. Not bad."
"Who exactly are you?" Yin Wuyou shouted, her face full of anger.
"When I left all those years ago, I left a portrait in the palace. Since you've seen my portrait, shouldn't you know who I am?" Yin Yuzhu's face turned cold.
"Impossible! You may look exactly like Great-Grandma Yuzhu, but she couldn't have survived this long!" Yin Wuyou said coldly. "Even a first-rank martial artist can't live for a thousand years! You must be fake. Who are you? Why are you pretending to be my great-grandmother?!"
With a clang, Yin Wuyou drew her sword and pointed it at Yin Yuzhu.
"I'm Yin Yuzhu. Why do I have to pretend?" Yin Yuzhu said proudly. "Since you're a descendant of the Yin family, you should know that our Yin family bloodline has a way to verify our own identity."
Yin Yuzhu looked at Yin Wuyou and continued, "On account of the special situation here, I won't hold it against you for offending me. I agree to let you verify my identity."
Zhou Shu, Mi Ziwen, and Wang Mu all looked at Yin Wuyou.
Only Yin Wuyou was a member of the imperial family of Great Xia, and only she would know if Yin Yuzhu was telling the truth.
"Is there really a way to verify if she's from the Yin family?" Zhou Shu looked at Yin Wuyou.?Could it be that there's a DNA test in this world?
Or will it be a blood test?
That would be a bit unreliable.
"Yes." Yin Wuyou nodded solemnly.
"Is it reliable?" Zhou Shu asked.
"Yes," Yin Wuyou said. "The imperial family has never made a mistake with this method. Do we really want to try?"
She looked at Zhou Shu, her eyes filled with inquiry.