Published at 8th of October 2024 3:08 am

Chapter 1215: Paupermia Switches With the Prince?

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Lin Sanjiu felt Gardenia crouching down quietly beside her.

“Whether you believe it or not,” Gardenia said with a hushed voice, “at least I understand that I’m guilty. I know saying this won’t change much, but I just wanted to let you know. At least I know right from wrong… dealing with me is safer than dealing with anyone else in this pocket dimension.”

Lin Sanjiu remained silent.

“Anyone who survives here isn’t simple,” Gardenia continued, her face devoid of any smile. “He puts on a persona of being quick to act, blunt, and self-serving. But he’s not the only posthuman here wearing a mask.”

Just like Gardenia had initially assigned herself a persona? Lin Sanjiu felt like the last sentence had an implied meaning, but she didn’t bother to ask further. She had more important matters at hand.

“You should go now,” she said, striving to keep her voice even. “Whether one more or one less, the plan doesn’t change.”

Gardenia swallowed her surprise. She stood up and picked up the NPC, carrying him on her shoulder. Before walking away from the corner, she turned to Lin Sanjiu and asked, “You’ll come out at the right time, won’t you?”

Lin Sanjiu was carefully inspecting her item cards one by one. With each movement of her fingers, the metal gauntlet shone with an emotionless gleam, like cold determination.

“I said I would. Do you believe me?”

After a pause, Gardenia mumbled, “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t trust them. But for some reason… I believe you.”

Without waiting for Lin Sanjiu to respond, Gardenia turned and walked out of the corner. The guards immediately noticed her, and the sound of her clothes rubbing against her body could be heard as she turned around. She quickly raised a hand as if surrendering and said, “Wait, I’m not an intruder!”

Lin Sanjiu didn’t peek around the corner. Red Face might check this direction first. Instead, she pressed herself against the wall, capturing all the sounds and movements behind the corner in her mind, then reconstructed the scene.

“I came in with the NPC’s permission,” Gardenia said hurriedly, sounding sincere, “But I happened to find this injured NPC, so I thought of handing him over to you guys.”

For a moment, the guards didn’t say anything, but from the sounds, at least two of them were approaching Gardenia.

“He told me the intruder severed his legs…” Gardenia began, then stopped, surprised. “Huh? What is he doing here too?”

“What’s wrong with him?” someone finally asked. From the sound of it, it seemed to be the guard who had reacted the fastest before. He walked to Gardenia’s side, now just a few steps away from Lin Sanjiu.

“He’s with the intruder!” Gardenia exclaimed, giving the guards little time to react. “Both the NPC and I were captured by the intruder, and we barely escaped while the other guards were in pursuit. It’s clear he’s been aiding the intruder.”

The fat man chimed in, “Yes, he’s on their side.”

Even if it were the truth, it would be too unbelievable if Red Face turned the tables and accused the NPC duo of assisting the intruders. After all, the NPC’s identity was already a guarantee. As Lin Sanjiu held her breath, waiting, she heard Red Face laugh bitterly after a moment of silence. “You’ve misunderstood. I was actually undercover. Look, I’ve just captured an intruder, haven’t I?”

The giant insect-catching net shook a few times, and the ropes creaked. This wouldn’t work. She silently sighed. Red Face was standing behind the guards, separating him from Lin Sanjiu. If she rushed out recklessly, he would likely get away. Gardenia needed to figure out a way to lure him over so she could launch her attack.

Gardenia, quick to understand the situation, sneered at the guards. “Have you seen who’s in the net? No? Then how can you be sure it’s an intruder? I need to find the female NPC who allowed me to come here, but she’s nowhere to be found.”

The guards hesitated for a moment. Even through the wall, Lin Sanjiu could sense their momentary confusion.

“We’re after the same thing,” Red Face said darkly. “You want to exchange for an NPC, and I want to exchange for an intruder. We’re not in conflict. Why the hostility?”

Ignoring him, Gardenia turned to the guard and seized the moment. “Bring him over to check the net. Then you’ll be sure.”

The proposal was reasonable, and the guard agreed. Although Red Face was extremely unwilling, he realized that the more he resisted, the more suspicious he would appear. He lifted the insect-catching net and took a step toward the guard, asking, “If I hand her over to you, you’ll promise to let me go, won’t you?”

It turned out he intended to use Bohemia as a bargaining chip to get a chance to leave.

The thought of how she would curse and complain once he dropped her from the net made Lin Sanjiu almost smile.

When she rushed out like a thunderbolt, even Gardenia, who had been waiting for her, almost didn’t have time to dodge.

Just like a gazelle suddenly seeing a lion charging at it, Red Face’s first reaction was also one of terror. It wasn’t until half a second later that he seemed to remember he was still surrounded by many guards—but by then, it was too late.

After leaping into the air with both feet, Lin Sanjiu barely touched the ground again. With her right hand encased in the metal gauntlet, she effortlessly smashed the ceiling light tube. Then, with her fingers clasped together, she used the grip on the broken tube to stabilize herself on top of everyone’s heads. Just as Red Face’s vision darkened, a dark figure swiftly appeared before him. Suspended in mid-air, Lin Sanjiu kicked him in the face, crushing his facial bones. Her boot tip sank nearly half an inch into his face.

Red Face didn’t even have time to scream; he was thrown into the nearby wall. The huge insect-catching net suddenly lost its owner, swaying and falling to the ground. Instead of catching it, Lin Sanjiu uncoiled herself and rolled to avoid an approaching guard’s swinging arm.

Thankfully, the number of guards had been reduced by half, allowing her to remain composed. When she saw several faces raised towards her and expose various-sized black holes, she let go of the hand holding onto the ceiling.

[Sand From a Chest Cavity], which she obtained in the Garden of Eden, had seemed useless all this time. Finally, she found a use for it today. As the vortex of air suddenly burst open, a dense sandstorm exploded in the air, covering everyone’s eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. At the moment when the guards were obstructed, she landed right in front of Red Face with a loud thud. She removed the metal gauntlet from her hand and pressed it firmly against his disfigured face.

Red Face, though taken aback, was a posthuman with abundant combat experience. Even while gasping in pain, unable to see anything, he seized the opportunity to grab at Lin Sanjiu with all five fingers, seemingly accompanied by a sizzling sound as some ability activated. She deftly avoided his grasp with a crouching motion, and as she rolled to the ground, she intended to pounce towards the wall. However, the guards behind her rushed towards her.

The amount of [Sand From a Chest Cavity] was considerable. The corridor seemed to be swept up in a momentary sandstorm, which temporarily deterred the guards. However, they were no longer truly human. They quickly reacted and rushed towards the silhouette in the darkness. Due to the narrow space and the abundance of guards, Lin Sanjiu just managed to stand up against the wall when she was..hit hard on the shoulder.

The security guard’s reaction in combat wasn’t slow. As soon as he realized he had physical contact with the target, he immediately grabbed Lin Sanjiu and held on tight, shouting, “I’ve caught the intruder!”

“I’ve also got her!” another security guard said as if in response.

The guard who had grabbed Lin Sanjiu visibly paused. After the lights on the ceiling were extinguished, the guards and the NPC’s vision were shrouded in dimness. He leaned closer and carefully observed her, then sighed from the dark holes. “It’s the red-faced man. He’s beaten quite badly.”

He released his grip. Lin Sanjiu steadied herself before hitting the ground and extended her hand to retrieve the insect-catching net still tumbling on the floor. With several guards pressing and stomping, Red Face was surrounded in the center. Over their shoulders, she could barely make out the hair at the back of her head—Bohemia had messed up her hair, so that particular section had to be shortened by Meowie Hu and ended up looking messy as if it had been chewed on by a dog.

After taking out the [Mark Twain Collection: The Prince and the Pauper] that Gong Daoyi had given her, Lin Sanjiu knew she didn’t have much time. She had deliberately shattered Red Face’s jaw just now, leaving him unable to speak. However, it wouldn’t be long before the guards discovered that he sounded more like a man, and he was dressed in men’s clothing.

She quietly circled behind the guards, reaching the entrance of the pocket dimension’s engine. Gardenia was quick-witted; during the fight, she had dragged the NPC to hide in a corner. Now, she stealthily approached, and as Lin Sanjiu opened the door, she slipped in first, leaving the NPC outside.

Lin Sanjiu threw the insect-catching net inside and blocked the door, stepping forward to grab the NPC. A guard turned his head, and after a brief moment of confusion, his eyes widened, and he shouted, “Hey, don’t open that! Keep the door shut!”

There was no time to look back. Lin Sanjiu firmly grasped the NPC’s collar and quickly backed away. Just as several guards turned around, she stumbled and fell in through the doorway. The space inside was almost pitch-black, with only a faint light seeping through the crack, creating a halo around Gardenia, who was standing by the door. Lin Sanjiu’s heart skipped a beat, thinking that Gardenia might attack her again. However, just as she expected the woman to make a move, Gardenia closed the door with a bang.

Once the door was closed, the outside world seemed to vanish suddenly; all sounds disappeared. In the darkness, only the clear breathing of a few people could be heard.

“Hei Zeji?” Lin Sanjiu called out while listening to Gardenia’s movements. Meanwhile, she fumbled on the ground for the insect-catching net. “Where are you?”

“You took quite a long time,” Hei Zeji’s voice came softly, sounding somewhat strange and hard to describe. “Do you have fire?”

Bohemia had fish that could illuminate the area. If Lin Sanjiu released her, everyone would be able to see. Fumbling through the net in the pitch-black environment, it took some effort, but she finally managed to open it. She touched the body wrapped in a long dress and whispered, “Take out your Glowfis.h.!.+”

However, Bohemia didn’t respond. She struggled to get up but tripped on her own long dress. Lin Sanjiu quickly steadied her arm, and her uneasiness grew deeper. What happened to Hei Zeji? Why is it pitch-black here, unlike what the NPC described?

“You two, find some fire,” the NPC said. “I know how to get the lights on here. Gardenia, was it? Give me a hand here.”

Hei Zeji still didn’t say anything. Gardenia fumbled to the NPC’s side and seemed to drag him to another spot. Lin Sanjiu didn’t understand why Bohemia didn’t move and was about to urge her when she suddenly realized that she was inhaling waves of familiar, cold fragrance.

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