My Sister Is Threatening Me, Huh

As Xu Mu thought it over, he also extended his perception toward Xiao Gui. After all, the man was the protagonist—perhaps he had figured it out before Xu Mu did.

“Strange. Neither of us moved just now,” the long-haired masked man said in a deep voice.

“I think I understand. I once heard of this kind of formation. Put simply, this isn’t a ghost wall at all. With every cycle, the formation drags the entire space backward by one meter, making it appear as though we’ve moved one meter forward.”

Xiao Gui spoke from the other side.

“If the whole space was dragged back by a meter, why didn’t the two of us move?” the long-haired masked man asked.

“Isn’t that obvious? The purpose of this formation is to target people like us,” Xiao Gui replied flatly.

Xu Mu had understood it as well. Simply put, each time they completed a circuit, the space shifted backward by one meter.

Which, in effect, meant that he had advanced one meter through that space.

If he went around ten times, it would be equivalent to moving forward ten meters.

But it was completely counterintuitive.

They were standing in a desert. When someone kept walking forward only to find themselves back where they started, they would naturally assume they had fallen into a formation and were going in circles.

So they would avoid repeating the same action. But this formation took advantage of precisely that—one had to keep circling the same route, without deviating, in order to escape it.

Xu Mu immediately pressed a hand to the ground and carved a formation marker.

“Sister Empress, can you hear me?”

Xu Mu promptly sent a voice transmission to Fu Jinyu. The desert could not be very large; otherwise, there was no way Xiao Gui could have completed a circuit in only four or five minutes.

“Yes. Where are you, Xu Mu?” Fu Jinyu’s voice came through.

“I’ll tell you how to leave this formation. Remember—only our own people can know. Don’t tell anyone else.”

Xu Mu explained the method of escaping the formation to Fu Jinyu.

Afterward, he began walking in circles.

Sure enough, as Xu Mu did so, Xiao Gui and the remaining two masked men also began circling.

However, they were not following the same circle as Xu Mu. And since they were stronger and faster, they would certainly escape the formation before him.

As Xu Mu continued circling, Hathaway transformed into a streak of golden light again and blocked his path.

“You little brat! You definitely won’t escape this time!”

Holding a golden sword, Hathaway pointed it at Xu Mu. “Since we’re both trapped here and can’t get out anyway, why not have a fight to the death?”

Xu Mu said helplessly, “Where’s that older sister from before? Her cultivation is higher than mine. If you want to fight, go find her.”

“That two-faced flirt, Zilan Yin, was just trying to disgust me. The moment you left, she ran off. She doesn’t dare fight me at all!”

With a swift step, Hathaway charged toward Xu Mu. “Since you won’t fight me, I’ll have to make the first move!”

“Stop!”

Xu Mu immediately raised a hand. Using his perception, he checked the surroundings and confirmed that no one else was nearby before lowering his voice.

“I know how to get out of this formation.”

“What?”

Hathaway frowned, then came up to Xu Mu. “Then take me out. I won’t kill you for the time being!”

“You’ve got quite the imagination. Why should I take you out of here? What price are you willing to pay?”

Xu Mu curled his lip.

“A price? Believe it or not, I’ll separate your head from your body!”

Hathaway snorted coldly.

“Then let’s fight. But let me tell you this first: other people already know how to get out, too. By the time you kill me, they might have already gotten their hands on the treasure.”

Xu Mu shrugged. “If you’re willing to give all that up, then go ahead.”

“What do you want?”

Hathaway narrowed her eyes. Of course she knew what mattered more.

“I’ll give you two choices. First: for the rest of this battlefield, you can’t attack me again. If anyone else comes after me, you have to help me.”

As Xu Mu spoke, he held up two fingers.

“Second: my grandmother is currently living in Sydney. You have to let me go see her in Sydney.”

“Sydney? What the—Xu Mu!”

Hathaway instantly caught on. Her beautiful face twisted with rage as she raised a hand.

“You filthy wretch! Receive my Judgment of Light!”

Boom!

A massive golden cross appeared above Xu Mu’s head and crashed down toward him.

“Damn it!”

Xu Mu had finally spent two minutes making his way forward. If he had to turn now, all that effort would be wasted.

But the treasure had yet to appear, and he had no intention of taking that attack head-on.

He immediately switched positions with Hathaway.

Boom!

The cross struck the desert, sending sand flying everywhere once again.

Whoosh!

The billowing sand was sliced apart by a streak of golden sword energy. Hathaway charged through the gap in the sandstorm, rushing at Xu Mu!

“Didn’t I give you a choice? If you don’t want me to go to Sydney, then just choose the first option!”

Xu Mu shouted at Hathaway.

Hathaway’s golden greatsword halted just over a yard away from Xu Mu.

She quickly turned her head and saw Zilan Yin drifting over again beneath her umbrella, like a ghost.

“Xu Mu, if you dare trick me, I’ll chop your head off!”

Hathaway said coolly. “Let’s go!”

“Wait.”

Zilan Yin floated up to Xu Mu with a smile. “Little brother, has she been threatening you again?”

“No.”

Xu Mu shook his head. If he had to choose someone to work with between these two, he would definitely pick Hathaway.

Though this woman kept talking about killing him, her filial piety score was actually positive one.

As for Zilan Yin, although she acted concerned, her filial piety score had always been negative.

“Zilan Yin, if you want to fight me, then come on! If not, get out of my sight!”

A fierce glint appeared in Hathaway’s eyes.

“Is this your home? I’m not going anywhere. What can you do about it?”

Zilan Yin smiled at Xu Mu. “Little brother, come with me.”

“Thank you, sis, but the misunderstanding between Sister Hathaway and me has been cleared up.”

Xu Mu politely declined.

Hathaway shot him a glare. “What do you mean, ‘Sister Hathaway’? Just call me by my name! Or call me Lady Hathaway!”

Zilan Yin’s gentle smile abruptly vanished. Enunciating each word, she said, “Little brother, I said... come with me.”

“Sis, maybe next time...”

“You dare refuse me?!”

Zilan Yin’s crescent-marked forehead had now become a half-moon, and the killing intent around her gradually began to surface.

“Are you threatening me, Sister?”

Xu Mu had known all along that she didn’t think much of him. Since that was the case, he saw no reason to keep pretending. “To be honest, Sister, Hathaway’s bigger than you. My old man always told me: when choosing, bigger is always better.”

Hathaway’s throat bobbed. She had originally intended to give Xu Mu a good scolding.

But seeing him dare speak to Zilan Yin like that instead made her feel rather pleased.

[Affection +1]

Whoosh!

Zilan Yin raised her hand, and a silver blade appeared in her palm. Curved like a crescent moon, it slashed toward Xu Mu’s neck.

Clang!

The crisp sound jolted Zilan Yin’s nerves.

Her eyes widened in disbelief. Xu Mu had caught her crescent blade between just two fingers.