Chapter 4

The cave of Black Dragon Fort was truly extraordinary, with large caves connected to smaller ones, branching and spiraling up and down like a maze. The draft from an unknown source made the torches, placed every five steps, flicker uncertainly, adding a sense of adventure to the exploration of the dark cave.

The old military advisor arranged Yang Qi in a so-called "guest room," which was said to be for the future chief's wife. The room was decently decorated, and the furniture was quite complete.

"Miss, Black Dragon Fort is still in its early stages, and the conditions are rather simple. Please bear with us," the little old man said, determined to keep Yang Qi calm, so he adopted a very humble attitude.

"Let's make do for now," Yang Qi said, still maintaining her composure, and waved her sleeve. "You may leave."

After entering the room and closing the door, the black-faced girl was about to cheer excitedly when Yang Qi quickly covered her mouth. She pointed to the walls around and whispered, "Be careful, there might be ears on the other side of the wall."

The girl nodded, understanding the situation, and deliberately raised her voice. "Master, it's dirty and messy here. Please wait a moment, I'll clean it up." As she spoke, the black-faced girl quickly felt the walls of the entire room, tapping on the rock walls to listen for any sounds, and carefully checked for any peepholes or sound holes. After a moment, she nodded, indicating that everything was fine.

Yang Qi pointed to the door, and the black-faced girl pushed it open. "Hey, you, yes, you, go get some hot water, my master wants to wash up! Hurry up, it's really dirty!"

After a while, footsteps could be heard outside, and the black-faced girl's voice sounded. "Alright, give it to me. Remember to respond when I call you, got it?" Then, the girl carried a basin of water inside, closed the door, and smiled proudly, the contrast between her black face and white teeth was quite striking. "Sister, no problem!"

"Hey, you don't seem very old, and you don't seem to have much experience in the world, but you're quite clever," Yang Qi said. A helpful teammate was the best kind of help, and this black-faced girl wasn't holding her back. "By the way, what did you put on your face? It's all black. Wash it off. We need to be high-profile now, so the more glamorous, the better."

"Okay!" There was a copper mirror in the room, and the girl walked over, sat down, and started washing and wiping while speaking. "But Sister is even smarter, coming up with this plan. In such a short time, not only did you think of it, but you also dared to do it, which most people wouldn't."

"Didn't dare? What's there to be afraid of?" Yang Qi casually sat down on a chair. "A woman who doesn't know martial arts is about to enter a den of wolves. If she doesn't act strong, she'll definitely end up in all sorts of trouble." This dream was really interesting; she was still somewhat immersed in it.

"Sister is truly a heroine among women. Even women in the world of martial arts can't match Sister's level!" The black-faced girl said with admiration. "If my grandfather met you, he would definitely get along well with you and might even become a lifelong friend!" As she spoke, the girl finished and turned around, revealing a complete transformation.

Her skin was fair and smooth, her eyes large and bright. In short, she had transformed from a dull, dirty girl into a beautiful, lively young lady!

If a picture of her previous appearance were taken and labeled "before plastic surgery," and a picture of her current appearance were taken and labeled "after plastic surgery," and posted online, it would definitely attract many people asking where she had the surgery done.

Yang Qi was also taken aback and pinched the girl's cheek. "Wow, you're quite a pretty little thing! I really want to take you back and make you my wife in the Band of Peach Blossom Thieves!"

"Hehe," the young girl, who didn't look very old, smiled shyly. "How can I compare to Sister? If I were to be a wife, I'd take Sister and make her my wife."

Speaking of which, she hadn't even seen what she looked like yet. Yang Qi went to the copper mirror, which was blurry, but she could still make out some details. "Wow, I look pretty reliable!" Why was it just a copper mirror? Since it's a dream, why not dream up a high-quality full-length mirror?

"By the way, this hair..." Until now, her hair had been loose, so Yang Qi hadn't seen it. Looking in the mirror, she saw that her hair was white. She grabbed a handful and brought it to her eyes. This white hair wasn't the kind that comes with old age; it was well-nourished and full, more like the kind seen in anime or games, looking quite high-end.

"I don't know how to tie hair, so just tie it up for me, so it doesn't get in the way during a fight." It was important to avoid having your hair pulled during a fight, so she needed to fix it now.

"Don't know how to tie hair? You must be a well-bred lady..." The girl, no longer with a black face, muttered but still came over to help.

"By the way, how do you plan to break into Black Dragon Fort? From what I've seen, most of these bandits don't have much martial arts skill. Can you take them all out by yourself?"

The girl thought for a moment and said, "Based on what I've seen so far, I'm not afraid. However, I've heard that the chief of Black Dragon Fort, Shi Heilong, is also a skilled martial artist, proficient in the Vermilion Palm. I'll need to exchange a few moves to see his true strength."

"Then, after we gather information about the fort, we'll leave. We'll pretend from start to finish, and once we're out, we'll go straight to the government to request troops to surround and attack the fort. We shouldn't be afraid of a small fort like this."

"Sister..." The girl paused, looking somewhat speechless. "The area around Luoyang has already been occupied by Mongol bandits. The government... probably..."

Yang Qi raised an eyebrow. "So, this place is still under enemy control?" Mongols? Plus the national crisis mentioned earlier? It seems this dream is set in the Southern Song Dynasty. The Southern Song Dynasty, so the mention of the Gathering Hall earlier was quite fitting! "If you're going to come in and do good deeds, you must be prepared, right? You can't just come in empty-handed?"

"That's not the case!" The girl, after finishing, took out a hairpin and gave it to Yang Qi. "There, you look beautiful! This hairpin is from my grandfather, so remember to return it."

Then, the girl started to—take off her clothes?! And she started by lifting her skirt!

"Hey, what are you doing?" Yang Qi was startled. Could it be that because it was spring, her dreams were becoming less proper? First, she dreamed of becoming a girl, and now she was dreaming of a beautiful girl taking off her clothes. Was she turning into a prince of nightmares?

Suddenly, with a swoosh, the girl took off all her clothes, revealing a set of tight-fitting clothes underneath, with a soft rope wrapped around her waist. It turned out she had worn the tight-fitting clothes first and then put on the village girl's outfit. Under the wide outer skirt, there was a cloth bag, which, when opened, contained various bottles and jars.

The girl picked up the bottles and jars and said proudly, "How could I come unprepared? I brought everything I need! Just these powders alone can keep three or four ordinary martial artists at bay!"

"Let me see what you have. Oh, knockout powder, bone-softening powder, power-disabling powder, bone-penetrating nails, and flying needles. Not bad." Yang Qi checked all the bottles and jars, then tied the small bag around her waist. "Alright, I'll keep these things. I don't think you'll need them, and I can use them for self-defense."

The girl thought for a moment and said, "Sister, let me handle the fighting. I'm afraid that if a real battle breaks out, Sister might not be much help."

"Huh, underestimating me?" Yang Qi leaped up, throwing punches and kicks. "Back in the day, I was forged in the heat of battle! Those weaklings, no matter how fierce they look with their swords and knives, I can take down three with my bare hands!"

Sigh, back in the day, back in the day, she had even learned reconnaissance and assassination techniques, but they all went to waste once she started working, and she couldn't even do a split anymore. But this dream body felt completely natural, and her strength seemed no less than her own. Especially the speed and flexibility! Apart from the two lumps of flesh on her chest, which made her have to find a new center of gravity, everything else was a significant improvement over her real self!

"Ha!" Yang Qi performed a high split, which was perfectly executed, and it felt effortless!

The girl was surprised and exclaimed, "Sister, if you had practiced martial arts from the beginning, you would have achieved great things!"

Just then, the old military advisor's voice came from outside the door. "Miss, our chief has returned. It's noon, and he wishes to meet you."

"Understood, wait outside the door for now." After Yang Qi responded, she and the girl exchanged a glance, both looking somewhat serious. The real test was coming, and the success or failure of their mission would depend on this meeting.

"Be bold and follow my lead. The rest will depend on how we adapt!" Unconsciously, Yang Qi had taken on the role of giving orders.

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