Chapter Fifty: Speculation, The Mystery of Lu Daoxuan’s Identity

“Who is this…?” Upon hearing Mu Siyu’s question, Lu Daoxuan turned to ask Wood.

“Oh! She’s an assistant I recruited during a hidden trial mission,” Wood replied quickly.

Gu Feng, hearing this, grinned mischievously. “Come on, assistant? Wood, you’re not being honest!”

Zigui nodded as well, seizing the opportunity to tease. “Exactly, Wood, we’re all men here—why hide it if you’ve got two women? Do you think we’re clueless kids?”

Even Baldy, usually the most forthright, nodded in agreement. “Wood, that’s not cool!” Seeing the way things were going, Wood realized there was no way to explain himself, but since they weren’t exactly wrong, he simply pretended not to hear them.

Lu Daoxuan, however, ignored their teasing and habitually pushed up his glasses. “Not bad, not bad!” Whether he was referring to Mu Siyu’s beauty and stunning figure, or to the sharpness of her question, was unclear. “As the first agent to pass the hidden trial, it’s only fair that the Time-Space Management Bureau granted me a few privileges, right?”

“Privileges?” Zigui’s eyes lit up. “What other perks are there? Let’s share them with the brothers!”

Lu Daoxuan swiftly dashed his hopes. “Privileges are reserved for agents who pass the hidden trial, and each agent’s privilege is different. Mine is the ability to consult the Time-Space Management Bureau for updates on the status of any agent—though only regarding their strength and whether they’re alive.”

At his words, everyone’s attention turned to Wood. Clearly, they wanted to know what privilege he’d received.

“Well… I’m not entirely sure myself,” Wood said hesitantly. “Brother Lu said I got a hidden reward from the Bureau—‘Fortune.’ I’m not sure if that counts.”

Everyone was stunned. “Fortune”—something so intangible and unseen—could that really be a reward, let alone a privilege?

Lu Daoxuan looked at Wood. “It hasn’t been long since we last met, but your strength has grown significantly. I suspect you’ve had some fortuitous encounter lately. Is it related to that mysterious item you mentioned last time?”

With that, the others began to examine Wood more closely. Gu Feng exclaimed, “You’re right—Wood, I can’t even gauge your strength anymore. Have you reached A-rank already? That’s so fast.”

Zigui checked his detector, puzzled. “Has his strength really improved? The data still puts him below me.”

Baldy glared at him. “Zigui, stop relying solely on gadgets. Trust your instincts!”

“I understand,” Zigui said hastily, pointing at the small print on the detector. “Data isn’t everything!” He muttered, “Unlike you guys, I’m better at leveraging tech.”

Wood scratched his head, perplexed. “Maybe it really is just luck. I found a new cultivation method. It seems to be from the immortal cultivation school, but also not quite. I feel as if I’ve reached the Nascent Soul stage, but the actual breakthrough hasn’t happened, and I don’t know why. I meant to ask my master, but he’s closed himself off again.”

Everyone was flabbergasted. To think someone could be unsure about their own cultivation level or how they’d improved. Gu Feng could only laugh helplessly. “Wood, do you remember what I used to say to you?”

“What?”

“You’re a freak—an absolute freak!” Gu Feng practically shouted. The first time Wood had advanced his system to D-rank in a single day, he’d said the same thing. What took others years, Wood did almost by accident.

Zigui, however, was delighted. “That’s good news! Wood signed the Contract Emblem with us—if he’s lucky, won’t we all share in it?”

Everyone paused to consider. It made sense: after forming the Contract Emblem, all of their missions became team-based. If Wood was lucky, wouldn’t the whole team benefit?

“No, you’re mistaken,” Lu Daoxuan interrupted coldly. “The Bureau wants to nurture us, but they won’t coddle us. From what I can deduce, Wood’s fortune brings him more trials as well. Since we’re a team, the Bureau will surely pay special attention to us.”

Everyone fell silent at that. It seemed everything had two sides.

“So, what do we do now?” Zigui asked weakly.

Lu Daoxuan shot him a look. “What do we do? We increase our strength—immediately. We must enter the Magic Realm and slay the dragon! If we don’t become stronger, one of us may end up on the next missing list.”

“What? Right now? Wait, let me prepare. See you in an hour!” Zigui didn’t dare delay. He hurried back to his home plane, both to prepare weapons and gear and to take care of his affairs—after all, he was the heir to a vast family, with countless responsibilities. Who knew how long they’d be gone in the Magic Realm? Everyone except Gu Feng had things to settle, so they agreed to regroup in an hour.

Wood had nothing to pack. He could leave at a moment’s notice, and even his most powerful asset, Invincible One, was linked to him mentally and could be summoned upon arrival.

“Siyu, do you have any thoughts?” Back on Earth, after informing Qiao’er and Mu Siqing that he’d be away for a while, Wood turned to Mu Siyu, who seemed deep in thought.

“Hmm…” Mu Siyu hesitated. “I think this Lu Daoxuan is really strange.”

“Strange?” Wood didn’t get her meaning.

“Yes! The way he looks at people is always so cold.”

Wood laughed. “That’s just how he is.”

“It’s not just you he’s cold toward—even when he looks at me or Xian’er, it’s the same!” Wood had already explained Xian’er’s origins to her, though not her age. Since Xian’er appeared younger than her own sister, Mu Siyu called her ‘Little Xian’er.’

“Is it because you think he should look at you like some kind of pervert?” Wood teased.

“Don’t be ridiculous. What I mean is, when he looks at us, it’s as if he’s looking at an ordinary object—there’s not the slightest flicker of emotion. The other three didn’t act out of line, but at least there was a hint of appreciation in their eyes. That’s a normal reaction for a man seeing a beautiful woman. But with Lu Daoxuan, there’s nothing at all.”

“Maybe that’s just his nature… or maybe his preferences are different?” Wood suggested, though even he found that unlikely.

“No,” Mu Siyu insisted. “It’s more than coldness. There’s something about him… as if all living things are the same in his eyes.”

“Sister Siyu is right. I sense a touch of divinity in him. He’s certainly not an ordinary man,” added Cloud Fairy.

Wood was startled. “What? Are you saying he’s a god?”

“No, he’s not a god,” Cloud Fairy quickly clarified. “But I can’t figure out what he is. Maybe it’s because his strength surpasses mine.”

Wood pondered for a while. “He was the first to complete the hidden trial, and he’s extremely intelligent. Siyu, do you remember what I told you about his analytical skills? It’s almost unbelievable—he can deduce so much from the tiniest clues. I can’t imagine how his mind works.”

Mu Siyu shook her head. “Did he really deduce all that? No matter how high someone’s IQ, there are limits. I believe perspective is the key to true wisdom… I can’t imagine an ordinary person inferring so much from so little information.”

Wood was silent for a long time. “So you’re saying he knows things we don’t?”

Mu Siyu nodded. “In fact, I think he’s the real leader of this contract team. Look at today—he asked you to gather everyone, and with just a few words, he set the tone for the future. He must have planned it all long ago. In truth, all you need to do is follow his lead.”

Reflecting on this, Wood realized she was right. From the very first words, Lu Daoxuan had steered the conversation, and everyone followed his logic without ever questioning it.

“But why is he doing this? He’s already signed the Contract Emblem with us—our fates are linked. He has no reason to harm us.”

“That’s not necessarily the case. Maybe he needs our help to accomplish something. With so little information, I can’t deduce his true motives. For now, though, his plan is to strengthen the team, which benefits everyone. There’s no harm in following his lead—and we can adapt as we go.”

After pondering for a long time, Wood could only agree with Mu Siyu’s suggestion. As the hour drew near, he summoned Invincible One, activated the system, and connected with Gu Feng.

Then he heard the synthesized voice of Dingdang: “Beep… Your friend, Gu Feng, agent of Magic Realm Star 3, has accepted your request to enter the Magic Realm… Preparing for transfer… Data check… No tasks scheduled. Maximum stay: one month. Afterward, you must wait at least fifteen days before reentering. Overstaying will result in forced return and a 50% deduction of reward points.”