Chapter 37

"Someone's coming, quickly throw the thing over."

Gu Yang said to Jiao Shumo, who was in the water.

"Oh."

Jiao Shumo threw the treasure map, which was soaked, towards the shore.

Gu Yang caught it, unfolded it, and took a glance. The map was made of some kind of leather, with a map drawn on it. At the bottom, there was a peculiar mark.

The map looked quite old.

On the way here, Jiao Shumo had mentioned that he didn't know his family had such a treasure map until he learned from the six men who killed his father that it was one of the nine treasure maps left by the Shadow Thief.

Gu Yang put the treasure map in his chest.

At this moment, two figures appeared by the lake, a woman and a man.

The woman demanded, "What are you two doing here so sneakily?"

Gu Yang turned his head and saw a girl in a pink dress, which made him feel a sense of amazement.

Among the women he had seen, only Su Qingzhi could compare to her in beauty.

However, their auras were completely different.

Su Qingzhi was cold and distant, making her hard to approach.

The girl in front of him, on the other hand, was gentle and charming, with every movement and smile having an indescribable allure that stirred his primal instincts.

"Is she some demoness from a cult or something?"

Gu Yang found himself somewhat stirred inside and immediately became wary.

He said, "Farewell," and was about to leave.

The woman, seeing that he ignored her, became angry and said, "Afu, don't let him go."

The gray-clothed man behind her immediately moved, pouncing towards Gu Yang with incredible speed.

Fourth Rank!

Gu Yang instantly judged the man's strength and was startled. He had no intention of confronting him head-on. He suddenly turned around and threw the long knife in his hand towards the girl.

Whoosh!

The gray-clothed man, seeing the fierce momentum of the knife, changed his expression. In mid-air, he forced himself to turn back and threw something from his hand.

Clang!

The knife, after being hit, changed its trajectory and narrowly missed the girl, embedding itself in a tree behind her.

The entire process, the girl did not react at all. It wasn't until the gray-clothed man landed beside her that she realized she had just narrowly escaped death.

She was so frightened that her face turned pale. Looking at the long knife embedded in the tree, she trembled and said, "He actually... actually..."

If Afu had reacted a bit slower, she would have been dead.

That man, who had hidden his identity, actually tried to kill her like that.

The gray-clothed man knelt on the ground, terrified, and said, "Miss, Afu failed to protect you. Please punish me."

With this delay, the masked man had already gone far.

The girl suddenly looked at Jiao Shumo in the lake and shouted, "Bring him up."

When the girl appeared, Jiao Shumo was stunned. He remained in the cold lake water, forgetting to come out.

He grew up in a small town and had never seen such a beautiful woman, who seemed like a fairy from heaven. For a moment, he was completely captivated.

When he saw the girl in danger, his heart raced, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

Now, seeing the girl looking at him, as if speaking to him, he quickly said, "I'll come up myself."

He flipped and climbed onto the shore.

The girl, seeing the young man staring at her with a dazed look, was used to such gazes and softened her expression. She asked, "Who was that person just now?"

Jiao Shumo, surprised by the girl's gentle tone, said, "I don't know. I don't recognize him."

The girl's expression turned cold, "You're lying. I clearly saw you throw something to him. How could you not recognize him?"

Jiao Shumo, seeing the girl seemed angry, became anxious and quickly explained, "I really don't recognize him. Last night, he saved my life but didn't even leave his name."

"Then what did you give him just now?"

"This..."

"Can't you even tell me this much?"

Jiao Shumo, who had never experienced such gentle and soft words, felt his bones turn light. In a moment of impulse, he blurted out, "It's a family heirloom treasure map."

The girl's eyes lit up, "A treasure map? Can you tell me more, sir?"

Jiao Shumo recounted the entire story and even drew a copy of the treasure map for her.

He had an excellent memory and had already memorized the treasure map.

After obtaining the treasure map, the girl said to her attendant, "Let's go."

Jiao Shumo, seeing her about to leave, felt a strong sense of reluctance and asked, "Miss, where are you going?"

The girl coldly replied, "What's it to you?"

Jiao Shumo couldn't have imagined that her mood would change so quickly. Just a moment ago, she was talking to him with a smile, but now she turned cold.

"That man saved your life, and you betrayed him. Such ingratitude, stay away from me." The girl said and left.

Jiao Shumo was struck like lightning, standing there in a daze.

...

"Phew—"

On the other side, Gu Yang had already run far. Seeing no one chasing him, he let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness he ran fast, or it would have been another hassle.

He called out, "Ling Ling?"

"I'm here."

A figure leaped out from the side, it was Ling Ling, who was still masked.

They had agreed beforehand that Gu Yang would appear, while she would stay hidden and provide support.

Gu Yang asked, "Who was that woman just now? She even has a Fourth Rank guard?"

Ling Ling said, "Surnamed Cao, and so beautiful, she must be the tenth on the Red Beauty List, the charming and alluring Cao Yiyi."

Gu Yang remembered this name well. He had died twice in simulated lives because of her.

"What's her background?"

"The eldest daughter of the Cao family, one of the ten great families, and the only child of the Spear Saint."

Gu Yang was shocked, "The daughter of a Divine Realm expert?"

Although he didn't know who the Spear Saint was, anyone called a "saint" must be a Divine Realm expert. This background was as hard as it could be.

Ling Ling reminded him, "That's right. This woman has a peculiar personality and a narrow mind. You offended her this time, and she won't let it go easily."

Gu Yang thought about Cao Yiyi's behavior just now. It wasn't just peculiar; it was downright crazy.

Getting entangled with such a crazy woman was truly unlucky.

Indeed, good things don't come easily. He finally found a treasure map, but it brought him trouble.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to cover his face. As long as he avoided her in the future, he shouldn't be recognized.

Gu Yang remembered something, "You said 'charming and alluring' just now, is that her nickname?"

Ling Ling nodded, "Every woman who makes it to the Red Beauty List gets a nickname. For example, Su Qingzhi, who is ranked thirteenth, has the nickname 'Ice Skin and Jade Bones.'"

Gu Yang, thinking of the Yin energy in Su Qingzhi's body, was intrigued, "Is there any significance to these nicknames?"

Ling Ling couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you even know such common knowledge?"