Volume 4
229 Spatial Connections
"I don't care what Huai Du plans to do with the bunch of you, and I'm only here because he sent me. He can't do anything about what I plan to do after that."
That confidence actually made Cang Ming look pretty dashing.
An explosion was heard near the wall just when I was about to speak.
All three of us were visibly taken aback at the sudden sound as we looked towards its source.
A huge hole appeared in the stone wall, as if it had just bore the brunt of a powerful attack. Nie Zun's tall figure appeared as the smoke and dust settled.
Cang Ming was the first to speak. "How could that happen? All the spaces in the demon cave are independent of each other. The space with that demon cultivating tablet you were in is totally independent of this space. How did you come here by breaking through a wall?"
Though I didn't fully comprehend him, I could understand what he was getting at.
This meant that no matter what we had seen earlier, be it that glacial wonderland, the stone rooms, the stone tunnel or even that icy river, they were all independent spaces that had no connection to one another.
In other words, we can imagine these spaces to be separate houses floating by themselves in the air without anything connecting them in between.
But if that was the case, then how did we go from one space to the other?
Nie Zun spoke calmly. "Since the spaces are independent of each other, then of course it isn't a simple case of breaking a wall."
Realization hit Cang Ming. "So this is a manifestation of forcefully breaking through the barriers between two spaces."
"What does that mean?" I asked finally, unable to contain my curiosity.
Cang Ming ignored me while Gaoqin Jiuye responded, "There is a specific way to go between any two independent spaces, just like how you arrived in the water vat from that icy river, because that's one of the ways to get from that icy river to this space. Of course, there's more than a single way to go between the spaces. However, one would need to use one of those specific methods to travel between the spaces, and these methods are usually created by the very person who had created this entire demon cave."
He continued after a short pause. "If I'm right, the method of breaking through the wall that Nie Zun just used isn't one of those specific methods to get to this particular space."
I frowned. "If I'm hearing this right, this means that the demon cave and all its specific connections between the spaces had been created by Huai Du with MF. But the fact that Nie Zun can break through one of these specific connections implies that his MF is already off the charts?"
I didn't expect myself to be able to analyze this so clearly. This might probably be because I've been forced to use my brain a lot recently.
Cang Ming raised a brow. "That's right. From this, you can already tell how high Huai Du's MF is. Whatever you have seen in here is but a manifestation of a tiny fraction of it. Gaoqin Jiuye, I respect you as a talented individual, and I don't wish for you to die too soon. I'd suggest you leave the Gate of Ghost soon. You guys shouldn't stay here."
"If you're asking us to leave because we aren't powerful enough or because we've been too impudent, then how about you? You don't look like the kind who can be easily controlled either. Why is Huai Du giving you special treatment? Is that just because you can be considered a subordinate of his? I don't think it's that simple, is it? Or is there some other reason that you're here as well?"
Red flashed past me, and before I knew what was happening, I saw Cang Ming right before me. I could almost be considered petite in front of his large frame.
The demonic man looked down upon me as he spoke with those blood-red lips. His half-hearted smile terrified me. "Do you still think I don't have the ability to survive here?"
He raised a fist towards me as I looked at him in confusion. As I stretched out an uncertain hand, he placed something on it.
After I realized what it was, I quickly put it back where it originally belonged in my red dress. Gaoqin Jiuye and Nie Zun's vision would be obscured by Cang Ming's wide frame, and none of them would have seen what happened.
Cang Ming handed me Jiao S's teleportation pill, telling me indirectly that he had great power by being able to reach me and steal something from me all in the blink of an eye.
I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I suspected that the reason he chose to take this from me was to also make it clear that he knew what it was, and that he knew I only had one of these.
He definitely was a terrifying individual if that was the case, since even Du Yue was not aware of this.
Instead of guessing, I decided to probe for more information.
I smiled at him. "No need to return such trash to me. I can just give it to you."
Cang Ming smirked. "You sure that's trash? Or is this your attempt at deception?"
Right, seems like he really knows everything.
But Jiao S and I did not really come into contact with him, and we didn't know each other at all.
How did he know this?
What a terrifying individual.
He turned back and swaggered towards Nie Zun, as if about to tell him something.
I called out from behind him, "Do you want to take a look at what you might be missing?"
I saw an obvious flinch he reached for his waist. He then glanced at both my hands.
After confirming that the item in his pocket was gone, he narrowed his eyes at me threateningly. "Give it back to me."
I held that white handkerchief with rhododendrons embroidered on it behind my back. Taking my hand out, I planned to throw it back at him. However, a flash of red appeared before me yet again before I felt a numbing pain on my wrist.
Cang Ming had my wrist in his hand.
I knew it was too late as I looked at those wrathful eyes. He might not let this go even after possibly snapping my wrist in two. I was prepared to take whatever came at me, since I thought I wouldn't be able to avoid it anyway. However, nothing happened after that numbing pain.
I could smell him even before I saw him. To be accurate, it wasn't a distinct smell but more of a change in the atmosphere when he was near me.
I felt a distinct cold around me as I looked up.
That handkerchief was still in my hand and Cang Ming had my wrist in a tight grip. My skin was turning red under his fingers.
However, he did not use any more strength, because there was another hand on his. It was beautiful, slender and pale, as if that hand had not seen the sun in a long time.
It was Nie Zun's hand.
Nie Zun placed his hand on Cang Ming's wrist, and there was also another hand on Nie Zun's arm.
Gaoqin Jiuye was holding onto Nie Zun's upper arm.
This scenario looked a little weird…
All four of us were gathered in a tiny space, our hands seemingly intertwined with one another as no one could emerge the winner.
Even though the situation was clear to everyone, none of us wanted to be the first to let go.
There's no use in keeping silent if none of us are going to move.
If this silence has to be broken, let me break it with a question.
There was a hint of sorrow in my voice as I spoke. "Didn't you not love me anymore? Didn't we decide to go on our separate ways? Why save me now?"
I saw a flicker in Gaoqin Jiuye's eyes.
My heart broke for him, but I couldn't take my words back.
This was what I really wanted to know.
When Nie Zun did not respond, Cang Ming suddenly laughed. "I guess it isn't easy to touch you."
This was obviously directed at me, but I was incensed at how badly timed it was.
I wouldn't be able to hear any answer from Nie Zun because of him.
Even if Nie Zun might have hurt me further if he had answered, I still wanted to hear it.
I realized that it was easy for someone to make their way into your heart, but it was no easy task if you wanted to make that person go away.
I chided Cang Ming in my heart, finding him a thoughtless individual.
I spoke impatiently, "You can take your hand away now since you know that you can't touch me. There's no need to resort to violence. It's not like I'm not returning you that handkerchief anyway."