Chapter 0: 39. It’s You
The fifth day after leaving Heaven’s Substitution Academy.
Qin Gou, Li Yuanzhen, and Ao Banwei successfully arrived at a dangerous place called Misty Ridge in Das.
From afar, the sky was clear and vast, but as soon as the three stepped into it, a gray mist suddenly rose, greatly obscuring their vision. Even infusing spiritual power into their eyes was of no use.
According to Qiu Qianyue, the secret realm of the Hidden Female Country had at least seven entrances. She herself had accidentally entered through this place and was led into the secret realm by the so-called guide at noon. This was the main reason why people often disappeared and their whereabouts were unknown in Misty Ridge.
This was the third time Qin Gou and his companions had entered the area of Misty Ridge. The first time, Qin Gou had secretly set up a formation, intending to forcibly find the entrance to the Hidden Female Country, but to no avail. Now, they could only start with the guide. Therefore, the three deliberately put on panicked expressions, flailing around like headless flies, acting out the image of a group of bewildered and lost travelers with great vividness.
“Brother Qin, will we really never be able to get out? Xiao Zhen is so sad.” Li Yuanzhen’s pretty face was pale, her eyes flickering with very realistic panic.
Qin Gou took a deep breath and said, “Don’t worry, Xiao Zhen. Things will work out. Even if we can’t get out for a while, our sect will not abandon us.”
“If I had known this, I shouldn’t have listened to Senior Brother Zhao. Searching for treasures in such a dangerous place is no different from seeking death,” Ao Banwei said helplessly, “Senior Brother Qin, I’m so scared.”
“Don’t worry, Xiao Zhen, Xiao Ban. Even if I die, I will protect you both, because you are both my wings! If we still can’t get out tonight, you can sleep with me, and your Senior Brother will surely keep you safe.”
Qin Gou’s shameless remarks were spoken without reservation, all to ensure that once the guide from the Hidden Female Country heard them, she would be greatly stimulated and immediately come to rescue the two innocent girls beside such a reprobate.
Time gradually reached noon. Qin Gou suddenly saw a graceful female figure standing straight in the hazy mist ahead. He immediately asked vigilantly, “Who are you? Did you also mistakenly enter Misty Ridge like us?”
At this moment, he could not be sure if the person before him was the guide of the Hidden Female Country.
“I am a disciple of the Yuan Ci Sect near Misty Ridge. I can lead you three safely out of Misty Ridge,” the woman in the mist said calmly. “If you don’t trust me, then forget it. I was just passing by and wanted to do a good deed.”
Yuan Ci Sect… This was the same thing the Debt Girl had heard before.
Qin Gou and the other two first exchanged glances as if pretending to hesitate. Finally, Qin Gou cupped his fists respectfully and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Senior Sister.”
The woman nodded slightly and walked over.
“It’s you?!”
Unexpectedly, as soon as the woman crossed the gray mist and saw Qin Gou’s appearance, her face showed excitement and ecstasy, and her voice trembled, “You’ve really come back, and you succeeded?!”
“What does this Senior Sister mean? We’ve never met before, have we?” Qin Gou asked doubtfully.
“Your appearance is known to everyone in our Hidden Female Country! Qin Yuan!” The woman’s eyes were filled with surprise, and she even revealed her true origin without reservation, exclaiming, “But why did you turn yourself into a man?!”
“What?” Qin Gou was completely confused.
However, in her excitement, the woman actually began to chant incantations, as if she wanted to contact someone.
In the blink of an eye, a cold light flashed, and with a crisp sound, the woman fell unconscious.
Li Yuanzhen, holding the Invisible Slash, looked at Qin Gou and said, “A’Qin, I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?”
Qin Gou nodded slightly.
“But what was this woman talking about just now? Did she mistake A’Qin for A’Yuan? And what about ‘turned yourself into a man’?” Li Yuanzhen asked.
“How would I know?” Qin Gou glanced at the fallen woman and said, “You two protect me, I’ll contact A’Yuan first and get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.”
Li Yuanzhen and Ao Banwei nodded in unison.
Qin Gou unhesitatingly summoned the dream spirit tool and communicated with Qin Yuan through Xiao Yan.
A moment later, Gu Feiyan’s figure reappeared in the dreamscape.
“Xiao Qin, A’Yuan did enter the Hidden Female Country, and she also told me to advise you not to enter that strange secret realm unless absolutely necessary!” Gu Feiyan’s cold eyes were filled with seriousness.
“Why is that?”
“Because if you’re not careful, Xiao Qin might have to be sisters with Xiao Yan from now on!” Gu Feiyan said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. “When A’Yuan first entered the Hidden Female Country, she mistakenly thought that the secret realm only allowed women to live there due to some strange rule. It was only after some time that she gradually understood. The truth is, within that naturally formed secret realm, there is an extremely strange law. If one lives there for a long time, even men will gradually turn into fair-skinned, beautiful young girls, and it will be difficult to reverse!”
“Is that so?” Qin Gou’s expression was astonished. If this were true, Little Zhao’s current situation was quite dire!
“A’Yuan also said that in the Hidden Female Country, people usually only wear Red and Blue Dresses. Those wearing red are naturally born females, while those wearing blue are people who have become women later on,” Gu Feiyan said with a wry smile. “The spiritual energy in that secret realm is pure and abundant, with countless marvelous treasures. If not for that strange law, it would be a top treasure land in the world. It is estimated that it is precisely because of the extraordinary nature of this place that the Female Country still has so many citizens.”
“What about the ‘A’Yuan turned into a man’ thing?” Qin Gou pressed.
“You know A’Yuan’s personality, she’s not the type to stay in seclusion for years! When she was trapped in the Hidden Female Country and couldn’t get her freedom, A’Yuan came up with a plan. She promised the ruler of the Female Country that she would go out to find a method to ‘reverse yin and yang’ to benefit those ‘blue-robed guests’ in the Female Country. She directly made a Spirit Oath, promising to return to the Female Country if she succeeded, and only then was she allowed to leave,” Gu Feiyan said with concern. “Xiao Qin, are you really sure you want to risk your life and enter the Hidden Female Country?”
Qin Gou’s face twitched as he said, “Did A’Yuan tell you how long it takes at least to be turned into a woman by the laws of the Hidden Female Country?”
“It might depend on the individual. A’Yuan personally saw someone turn into a young girl in just one day.”
“This is going to be difficult…”
Qin Gou’s words were halfway through when his consciousness was instantly pulled back to reality.
He saw Li Yuanzhen and Ao Banwei fiercely guarding him from behind, while they were already surrounded by more than a dozen beautiful women wearing Red and Blue Dresses.
Moreover, almost all the women’s gazes were fixed on Qin Gou alone.
“Sister Qin Yuan, long time no see! No, you should be ‘Brother Qin Yuan’ now!?”
“It’s Qin Yuan’s Father!” Qin Gou was extremely depressed.
