Chapter 442: 59. Traitor
“Is the peach everything?”
Tang Zeming Asuka tilted her head, seemingly not understanding the meaning behind the Duke of Peach’s words. However, she faintly sensed that there was something profound in what the other person was saying, yet she completely couldn’t comprehend it.
The Duke of Peach, holding a fan, smiled slightly. She put down her fan and pointed at Tang Zeming Asuka before her, saying,
“Fate entangles all things just like death does. This principle applies to everything in this world, but for a Trans like you, its effect is negligible. You’ve already noticed this, haven’t you?”
Yes, just now, Teacher Fisher mentioned that an hour had passed on their side, while here it had been less than ten minutes.
She seemed to realize something and suddenly said to the Duke of Peach, “That peach… are you deliberately leading me here?”
“Not too foolish, little fish.”
The Duke of Peach stood up from the water. Her petite body, almost childlike, was nearly submerged up to her chest in the creek. With both hands raised above her head, she cautiously walked toward the shore. With the assistance of a maid in white cloth, she climbed onto the bank with difficulty. Then, under the astonished gaze of Tang Zeming Asuka, her clothes quickly dried, returning to how they looked before she fell into the water.
Fisher had already roughly guessed what had happened. It was that small-looking elf in front of them who had caused Tang Zeming Asuka to suddenly disappear, but he still felt puzzled and needed answers, so he asked,
“We don’t only have one Trans; why are you only looking for Tang Zeming Asuka?”
The Duke of Peach blinked and bluntly replied, “Little fish, so your name is Tang Zeming Asuka, such a strange name. The reason is simple: because she’s the dumbest and easiest to trick.”
“…”
Tang Zeming Asuka’s face instantly turned red, her cheeks puffing up. If the little brat before her hadn’t been confirmed as a Grand Duke of the Nineteen Rank, she would have likely hit her as before.
“Alright, I’ve roughly got what I wanted, White-clothed. Have the Fourteenth Rank people arrived?”
“Yes, Duke of Peach. Although the Fourteenth Rank exists as the backbone of all nations, they are quite curious about the situation in the royal capital, so they generously sent their envoys who are now waiting for your decision at the entrance.”
“Um, that’s fine. You can go out and arrange them. I still have a little something to discuss with them.”
“Yes.”
After the maid in white turned to leave, the Duke of Peach looked back at the still soaking Tang Zeming Asuka, surprised, and said, “Oh, little fish, you haven’t come out of the water yet? Are you bathing?”
“I—”
Tang Zeming Asuka immediately tried to get up but secretly glanced at Teacher Fisher, who seemed to be aware that it was a bit awkward. He promptly averted his gaze to the other side, so she no longer hesitated and walked toward the shore.
Just as she reached the bank, her clothes suddenly changed, directly transforming into the white robe she had worn before, and the dampness disappeared in an instant, causing Tang Zeming Asuka to be slightly taken aback.
“Don’t be surprised. Follow me; there’s something I need your help with.”
Fisher and Tang Zeming Asuka exchanged glances and had no choice but to follow the Duke of Peach as she walked toward the enormous peach tree in the center. As they walked, her delicate childlike voice came,
“My kingdom is far, far to the east of the royal capital. Like the other dukes, I cannot enter the vicinity of the royal capital without reason during ordinary times. Even with the king’s imminent reincarnation, we, as the pillars of the continent, cannot move an inch. However, the current situation is different, as the royal capital has undergone a drastic change while we remain far from it.”
As the Duke of Peach got closer to the giant peach tree, her figure became increasingly blurry, as if the surrounding space was starting to oscillate slightly.
“The specifics of the situation are unknown even to us dukes, but we have received some clues from the king’s close attendants. Years ago, the king pursued by death drew closer to reincarnation. All the other dukes have already undergone reincarnation, but the king’s position is different; he must proceed with extreme caution regarding reincarnation. To avoid risks, he has been extending his life through some means until now. Though he still lives, his condition is certainly not what it once was.”
The Duke of Peach opened her fan, covering her mouth, shielding herself from the words she was about to speak, words that were bound to be inappropriate.
“To speak out of turn, the king is becoming increasingly unclear, leading to a grave mistake: the symbol bestowed by the Mother, the tear of the World Tree, was stolen, taken by a Trans who privately hoarded it.”
The tear of the World Tree has indeed been stolen!
Fisher and Tang Zeming Asuka instantly realized that their purpose for coming to the Tree Continent had been accomplished.
However, just as the Duke of Peach uttered this sentence, Fisher and Tang Zeming Asuka happened to step into the area around the giant peach tree at the end of the stream. As their astonished expressions appeared simultaneously, the path behind them was instantly blocked by dense peach trees, trapping them alongside the Duke of Peach near the massive peach tree.
Fisher frowned as he looked back at the wall of peach trees behind them. With just one glance, he confirmed that each of these peach trees had the strength of the Mythical Rank; he knew he could not escape alone.
The Duke of Peach, holding her fan and hiding her face, smiled as she turned to look back, waving her hand and releasing a light fragrance reminiscent of peach blossoms, seemingly the scent of her body.
“There’s no need to hurry. The secrets I just mentioned are known only to us few dukes even in the Tree Continent. To be cautious, you cannot leave until we reach an agreement, lest the secrets be leaked.”
“Ah?! What agreement? If we don’t consent, are we going to be stuck here forever?”
Still with Teacher Fisher?!
The Duke of Peach smiled at her, obviously saying nothing but seemingly continuously calling her a “little fish” or an “idiot,” never stopping, making it irritating just from her gaze.
Meanwhile, Fisher pondered for a second and turned to her, asking, “Even if we don’t reach some agreement, she has ways to ensure the secrets aren’t leaked, and she has demonstrated these methods many times. She can revert your clothes and her state in the water back to how they were before. Since she has shared these words with us, it means she has something to ask of us.”
The Duke of Peach slowly closed the fan, nodded, and praised, “I enjoy talking to smart people. You, little fish, are his student, but it seems you haven’t learned much, as IQ is innate.”
“You!”
Tang Zeming Asuka bit her lip, deciding to silently curse her in her heart.
Fisher continued his line of thought, looking at the petite Duke of Peach and asking, “So, what exactly is this ‘agreement’ you mentioned?”
Upon hearing this, the Duke of Peach spread her arms and turned around in front of Fisher, pouting, “Cute, right? This is how I looked when I was just born in this life. To get back on topic, this is the result of my exercising my abilities. Due to ‘礼’ (ritual), we were completely incapable of intervening in the matters of the royal capital, and we naturally couldn’t know what occurred here. However, since such a major event has happened, we must investigate. I created a barrier to trace back time here, hoping to glean all information regarding the Trans to obtain clues about the stolen tear.”
“However, the chaotic aura on the Trans disturbed the operation of the rules, and their shadows in fate are very, very blurred. The clues I obtained are extremely limited. The only thing I know is that the Trans suddenly appeared beside the king; she had stayed in the royal capital for several years, only to disappear six months ago after stealing the tear of the World Tree.”
“However, just like you, little fish, that Trans should just be an ordinary human aside from the chaotic aura on her, as the Jianmu Palace has both ‘宇’ (universe) and ‘宙’ (space) axes, plus dozens of giant tree guardians. Even if the king has become negligent due to the limits of lifespan, an ordinary human cannot steal the tear of the World Tree stored deep in Jianmu Palace.”
Fisher’s brows raised slightly as he suddenly understood what the Duke of Peach had been suspecting.
“Are you saying that the Trans has other helpers?”
“Exactly, and it’s highly likely to be a fellow clansman of mine, an elf.”
The Duke of Peach leaped onto the giant peach tree behind her, yawning just like she did when she first met Tang Zeming Asuka. She opened her fan to cover half her face and said, “All records in the royal capital have been sealed, and the king called upon the elves as his subjects for various reasons—offering tributes, healing, presenting treasures, and family visits. Six months ago, including myself, over seventy elves entered the royal capital. The doctor from your team, belonging to the Whale Folk, also visited the royal capital through the introduction of Lord Bai to diagnose the king six months ago; I saw his figure in the past barrier.”
Gouwen?
“He indeed mentioned that he had once entered the royal capital to treat your king.”
The Duke of Peach side-eyed Fisher, and after a second or two, she put away her fan, sitting up, pointing at him and Tang Zeming Asuka beside him,
“The past barrier is smeared with an invisible shadow due to chaos, but perhaps in the eyes of the three Trans, there might be a different scene? You’re a team, and working together wouldn’t be a problem. Anyway, I want you to help me find that traitor among us; the rest will be up to us to resolve.”
“…”
Fisher was still contemplating when the Duke of Peach lowered her fan, looking down at them, and asked,
“As payment, I will give you whatever you want. Treasures, titles, beauties; I can satisfy them all.”
Looking at the Duke of Peach perched on the tree, her pink eyes resembling a still, deep abyss, Fisher hesitated for a second. Just as Tang Zeming Asuka beside him was waiting for him to make a decision, he suddenly spoke,
“Deal, I just want a subhuman beauty.”
“Eh?!”
Tang Zeming Asuka gave Fisher an astonished look but found he was subtly indicating something to her with his eyes. She hadn’t completely processed it yet, but based on her trust in Teacher Fisher, she refrained from questioning it.
The Duke of Peach smiled while holding her fan, then asked, “Little fish, what about you?”
“I… um, how about treasures?”
The Duke of Peach nodded in satisfaction, waved her hand, and lay down on a branch. The peaches that had enclosed them gradually disappeared, revealing a path leading away. Her youthful voice floated over,
“Alright, it’s settled. I will provide you all with enough treasures and beauties; they will be subhuman beauties. Just follow this path, and you’ll find your companions. Go persuade them. I’ll wait for you for a day, so you can take this time to rest. The rewards will be delivered to you tonight. Come back tomorrow morning, and I will take you into the barrier.”
“Yes.”
Fisher nodded, pulling Tang Zeming Asuka beside him as they began to walk back toward the other side of the peach blossom grove.
Feeling the silence, Tang Zeming Asuka looked at the stern and contemplative Fisher. The confusion caused by his decisive demand earlier gradually faded.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something or ask something, but Fisher raised a finger to reject her. She stared blankly at the giant peach tree.
Oh right, they were still inside the Duke of Peach’s barrier; it wouldn’t be good if they accidentally said something that she overheard.
Even though Fisher didn’t seem to have any intention to explain, she still began to think for herself.
She suddenly realized that in that situation, it wouldn’t have been appropriate to ask for any reward. They had come in pursuit of the tear of the World Tree, and they were sent by the Holy Realm; both points couldn’t be exposed to the Duke of Peach. So, they could only continue with their identities as “locals of the Wutong Kingdom.”
However, without asking for a reward would obviously draw more of the Duke of Peach’s attention. Tang Zeming Asuka didn’t believe that the Duke hadn’t considered where this suddenly appearing trio of Trans came from before asking for their help. It was just that she couldn’t see their past.
She looked down at the white robe she was wearing. Although it was from the Holy Realm, it wasn’t too different from the clothing on the Tree Continent. It was just a piece of cloth covering her; moreover, the attire of Chuan Kingdom was different from that of Wutong Kingdom, and it seemed the clothing of the Phoenix Race was also distinct from those of the envoys from the royal capital. The Duke of Peach shouldn’t have discovered their flaws through their clothing.
Therefore, the best solution previously was indeed to accept the Duke of Peach’s rewards. After all, they weren’t here for rewards. Confirming the tear theft in Jianmu Palace was all they needed to accomplish before leaving the Tree Continent.
Tang Zeming Asuka exhaled softly.
Indeed, Fisher was just continuing to play the same persona he used when dealing with Lord Shiran, pretending to be a bad guy who liked subhumans. While this method was indeed effective and swiftly alleviated concerns, Tang Zeming Asuka always felt it was unfair for Teacher Fisher to be forced to demean himself.
She secretly glanced at Teacher Fisher who was walking in front without saying a word, and inexplicably felt a sense of reliability from him, which attracted her.
“This is what it means to be a mature adult; I need to work hard too.”
Tang Zeming Asuka thought to herself while firmly patting her face, silently quickening her pace to walk alongside Fisher.
Seeing her look as if she had come to a realization, Fisher was no longer worried. He didn’t intend to explain anyway.
Essentially, Fisher’s thoughts were close to the conclusions Tang Zeming Asuka had drawn. Hmm, except for the part regarding the reward of subhuman beauties.
But he needed to clarify that his desire for these rewards wasn’t driven by reproductive desires, and this could be assured by Renee.
It was simply because he needed to get closer to the pinnacle of the Fourteenth Rank quickly, and these subhuman beauties were merely for study. There was no reason not to take up such an opportunity. Moreover, there was still Neceria to research and the Elf Race.
Fisher recalled the petite and delicate yet cute figure of the Duke of Peach and suddenly felt a tinge of regret—if only he could research the characteristics of the Elf Race. It seemed like encountering a female elf was quite difficult.
Hmm, didn’t Tang Zeming Asuka just have a conversation with that elf?
Thinking of this, Fisher paused slightly, suddenly looking back at Tang Zeming Asuka and asking her,
“How did you end up here and meet that Duke of Peach? When I arrived, I saw you two fall into the water; what happened? Were you hurt?”
If she had conversed with the Duke of Peach and their relationship seemed decent, could he possibly leverage Tang Zeming Asuka as a medium to advance his research on the Elf Race?
For now, this was just a hypothesis; he didn’t know whether it would work.
“Eh?”
Feeling Fisher’s concerned gaze from behind her, Tang Zeming Asuka inexplicably recalled how she had felt embarrassed in her ill-fitting swimwear when she fell into the water, making her shy. She scratched her cheek and said,
“Uh, um… I saw a peach fall from the tree, so I went to pick it up, but unexpectedly the surroundings changed in just a few steps. Then I ran into that little brat; she kept scolding me and made me help her catch fish, so… that’s why I changed into that outfit.”
Fisher didn’t understand why Tang Zeming Asuka had suddenly started explaining why she wore that strange outfit, which seemed to be a swimsuit? And the size was quite off.
But he suddenly thought of Jasmine; back at Saint Nali University, she often seemed troubled by her clothing issues too.
He shook his head, temporarily dismissing the chaotic thoughts in his mind.
“It’s alright; I didn’t see anything.”
Um, the more you say that, the more I feel like you saw everything!
Tang Zeming Asuka silently mocked in her heart, but on the surface, she still blushed and nodded, tacitly skipping over the topic.
They walked in silence, soon crossing the long path back to where they originally arrived. Even Tang Zeming Asuka didn’t expect she would be so far from the previous spot.
As soon as they stepped out, Fisher felt like “the opening thunderbolt.”
In that wide clearing among the trees, Gouwen and Mikhail were anxiously standing under a peach blossom tree. Upon seeing Fisher and Tang Zeming Asuka return, they hurriedly waved,
“You’re finally back! We just got back too; I didn’t even know you ran into that maid. Come quickly and see, Hela seems to have eaten too many peaches. She came back like this.”
“Huh?”
Fisher abstractly returned to their side, only to see Hela, dressed in white robes, lying on the ground beneath the peach blossom tree, surrounded by numerous peach pits, and upon careful counting, there were no fewer than dozens of them. It made Fisher’s scalp tingle.
She was holding her belly with one hand while the other gripped a half-eaten peach, and the fake bosom made of halos was smaller than her bloated belly. No one knew how many peaches she had eaten.
Seeing her pale face and extremely uncomfortable expression, Fisher squatted beside her, wanting to check on her condition.
Perhaps because he had been pranked by this girl too often, whatever happened to her was the first thing he thought of as her looking for fun.
“…Hela?”
After a moment of silence, Fisher finally called out to her.
Hela, lying on the ground, slightly frowned, seemingly in extreme pain, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies.
Her bluish-golden eyes rippled, and when she saw Fisher in front of her, her emotions finally manifested visibly.
Her voice was hoarse, making her words sound a bit dry, “Why… are you back? Everything… is already over. I… right now…”
“…Speak normally.”
Hela sniffled, seemingly in more pain; just as Fisher could no longer hold back and was about to draw the Fluid Sword, she hurriedly flipped herself over, clutching her bulging belly, and mumbled to the ground,
“I ate too many peaches; I’m so stuffed. Is there any water?”
“…You have issues.”
(End of this chapter)
