Chapter 523: Cooperate

The royal family green room.

Time slowly passed.

The liquor was still being cooled in the ice box.

The 12-layer cake was giving off a faint sweet smell.

The light wasn’t too bright, nor too dim, just enough to comfortably illuminate everything.

The little girl and Gu Qing Shan were staring at each other.

They were the only people left in this room, and this was the only safe place left for now.

“Sir?” the little girl asked tentatively.

Gu Qing Shan still hadn’t said anything.

Because Su Xue Er had already entered that world for a while.

He was quickly moving his mind, trying to find where Triste could have made a mistake.

—–why is Triste in so much hurry to find the Bramble Bird princess?

She had already turned to the side of the demons, so she should already be spreading [Worlds Apocalypse Online] and attack Aboul right about now.

But Triste didn’t do that.

The war still hasn’t begun, and Aboul was peaceful.

Below the peaceful water surface, a rapid stream was rushing through.

Everything was tense, like an arrow already knocked on its bow without firing.

Triste… dispatched the entirety of the royal guards.

She was still looking for the princess.

This green room alone was searched at least twice.

Even an esteemed guest like the Spirit of the Holy Tree was asked to help Triste with the search.

——Triste really is sparing no effort for this.

But why search for so long? Does Triste intend to not start the war if she doesn’t find the Bramble Bird princess?

Then why?

Why do we have the current situation?

Gu Qing Shan looked again at the little girl and stayed silent.

This little Bramble Bird princess was also quite the brilliant one, hiding right under Triste’s nose.

Triste probably didn’t think of this at all.

The war… the princess…

There must be a crucial detail that I don’t know about.

If I want to find a solution, I have to find out that detail from the Bramble Bird princess!

Thinking that, Gu Qing Shan spoke.

“Just now… you seemed to want to ask me something?”

He asked the little girl.

“Ah, indeed. Sir, I would like to ask you to take me with you out of this place, preferably to the Justice Iron Fist Club” the little girl quickly answered him.

“No problem, I can bring you with me”

Without waiting for the little girl to feel glad, Gu Qing Shan continued: “But I’m currently waiting for someone, only after I meet them will I be able to bring both of you out of here”

“What? You still need to wait for someone?”

The little girl was stunned.

The current situation was very urgent.

Triste might be able to find me any moment now.

But he still needs to wait for someone.

Recalling the details from before, the little girl abruptly asked: “You must be waiting for your girlfriend, is that not right sir?”

“I am”

Gu Qing Shan answered without changing his expression: “She answered the call of the Bramble Birds and Triste already agreed to take care of her, so she should be out at any time now”

The little girl started to worry.

If I had no hope to survive, I would give up.

But now that I’ve found a faint light, there’s no way I’ll give up without a fight!

The little girl evaluated the man in front of her.

This was a young male that came from a Scattered world.

He doesn’t understand anything.

Can I convince him to give up on waiting for his girlfriend?

The little girl thought for a bit before shaking her head.

It’s highly improbable.

Since he already paid a high price to ask the Spirit of the Holy Tree to stand up for him, his girlfriend must be someone he has to save no matter what.

Then the only solution is to help him.

As long as his problem is solved, I can go with him, using the Iron Fist Club beacon and void string to leave this place.

Aizz, there really is no other choice.

If I leave this room, anyone else who saw me would call the guards.

Because the reward for finding me is really high, no one would be able to refuse it.

Everyone wants to keep an amiable relationship with the Bramble Bird royal family.

But no one knows that the royal family was already no more.

Anyone who says they represent the royal family is a fraud.

The little girl looked at Gu Qing Shan with a complicated expression.

Only him, he was the only one who didn’t call the guards first.

He’s my chance to survive.

Compared to waiting here and dying, going with him is the only sliver of hope!

I’m the last remaining member of the Bramble Bird royal family, I definitely can’t die here!

The little girl quickly decided and spoke: “I can help you get into that world of Triste and pick up your girlfriend. But you must swear that you will definitely not leave me behind”

“You have a way to enter that world?” Gu Qing Shan appeared surprised.

“I do. Actually, it was because I stole her world that Triste is in so much of a hurry, not sparing any efforts to find me” the little girl answered.

Gu Qing Shan held his breath, asking with a soft tone: “And why did you steal her world?”

The little girl answered: “This was my revenge, and I have the ability to make Triste unable to find that world ever again, as long as I do not get caught”

Gu Qing Shan couldn’t help but clench his fist from joy.

So that’s why!

[Worlds Apocalypse Online: Kindling] was actually hidden in Triste’s world.

Since that world was stolen by the Bramble Bird princess, it led to the [Demon King Order] being unable to spread, which led to Triste having to delay the start of the war.

This was the key to everything!!

“Very nicely done!” he loudly told her.

The little girl was shocked, smiled, but quickly returned to a look of calmness and sorrow.

The little girl continued: “However, I must tell you something. The situation might not be as you think. That world is very dangerous, much more dangerous than any world you have ever seen before, sir”

“You know what kind of world I’ve been to?” Gu Qing Shan asked.

“I do not, but it really is dangerous. You might lose your life with just a single misstep, so you must be very careful, as I do not want to lose my life together with yours, sir”

“I know that, your esteemed Highness, princess of the Bramble Birds”

The room fell silent.

The little girl couldn’t help but take a step back.

Then another step back.

But when she noticed Gu Qing Shan wasn’t doing anything, she also stopped stepping back.

The little girl stared intently at Gu Qing Shan, trying her best to control her facial expression to not show fear or fright.

She waited.

The man in front of her only stood there and looked at her without doing or saying anything.

The little girl understood.

He didn’t plan on doing anything.

…what a strange person indeed.

While anyone else who saw me would’ve called the guards to report that they found the maid everyone was looking for…

——this man already noticed my true identity, and still did nothing!

His every action seemed to be hidden behind some other intention, unique only to himself.

The little girl couldn’t help but ask: “When did you notice?”

“When I wanted to”

“So my disguise was a failure from the start?” the little girl dejectedly asked.

“No, it’s because you were too excellent. The character of ‘maid’ doesn’t suit you, I hope my saying that will help you feel a bit better—— so, what do you think?”

“Thank you, I believe you think that since we have gotten to this point, it would be better for both of us to be straightforward with each other, that is why you exposed my identity”

“I must praise your excellence once again, your royal Highness”

The little girl silently nodded and twirled around on the spot.

Her tanned skin turned pearly white, the dirty maid clothing was gone, instead replaced by a light blue dress.

She was graceful, elegant, even with the strictest of eyes, you would find no fault with her etiquette.

But she was only 12.

She and Gu Qing Shan stared straight at each other’s eyes.

Unlike the Light of Dawn Triste, the royal princess had a pair of sky-clear blue eyes, as you face her, you will get lost in there without meaning to, a sense of comfort akin to gazing at space and the stars above would fill your mind.

“Let me introduce myself again, I am Laura, this generation’s Bramble Bird princess”

“Laura?”

“Indeed”

“I am Gu Qing Shan”

“At this point, I have no other hope. Mr. Gu Qing Shan, as a member of the Justice Iron Fist Club, may I ask if you can lead me away?”

She had already changed her manner of speech, no longer referring to him as ‘sir’.

“Of course, as long as you can get me into Triste’s world so that I can leave with my girlfriend” Gu Qing Shan directly answered.

Princess Laura hesitated for a bit before asking: “Why were you not able to enter when she went into that world?”

Gu Qing Shan told her the entire reason behind that.

Since this little princess was so sensitive, there is no need to lie to her.

Princess Laura listened and commented: “No wonder you want to save your girlfriend”

“Then one final question” Laura continued: “I can get you into that world, but before that, how can I trust you?”

“Gu Qing Shan of Bai Hua sect hereby swear, as long as you help me enter that world, I will definitely lead you from this place, guaranteeing your life”

“If this oath is not fulfilled, my Dao heart shall break, rendering me forever worthless”

An invisible gust drifted about Gu Qing Shan before entering his body.

“This is an oath of cultivators? It is uncommon, but very useful indeed—— I shall trust you this once” Laura said.

She reached out her hand, touching the 12-layer cake on the table.

The gigantic cake split in two, parting to reveal a transparent crystal ball inside.

The crystal ball silently hovered in the air, giving off a dim misty light.

Laura waved her hand.

The crystal ball landed on it.

“This world was the one Triste is looking for, since I had completely sealed it, she could not sense where it was” Laura told him.

Gu Qing Shan was surprised.

So Laura had used a spell to seal off this world’s presence, hiding it within the cake.

Because Bramble Birds were a race of aristocrats from the Mystic Zones so strict with their etiquette, they would definitely never eat in front of someone else.

And other than the Bramble Birds, those who could enter this green room would more or less come from a high-status background.

Would such people cut a piece of cake in front of everyone to eat?

Which was why hiding the crystal ball inside the cake was such a good idea.

This Bramble Bird princess was a truly brilliant young girl.