Tang Wen, secluded in the secret chamber, was unaware that he had simultaneously put several old and new friends in an awkward position outside.
Even Qian Sanduo, a seasoned veteran, had never encountered such a situation.
For a moment, no one knew what to say, and the atmosphere became tense.
The only sound in the air was the reverberation of Tang Wen's Vibration Fist.
By now, Bai Youruo had already realized that the Flame Camp had detected her ulterior motives.
Qian Sanduo and the others also knew that Bai Youruo was aware they had discovered her intentions.
Neither side wanted to bring it up, each thinking of how to smooth things over.
Naturally, they let Bai Youruo voice her plans.
Bai Xue muttered something under her breath.
After a brief pause in the sound of the Vibration Fist, she suddenly spoke up:
"Young Mistress! Twenty-eight punches?"
"What?" Bai Youruo asked in return, then quickly understood.
Tang Wen had just unleashed a total of twenty-eight Vibration Fists.
"Did you say twenty-eight punches?!"
Bai Xue said in a daze, "Yes, I counted them clearly."
Bai Ying murmured, "There couldn't be someone else down there, could there?"
This remark was quite off the mark.
They had all seen earlier that the secluded courtyard and the secret chamber were not large.
There was no way two Martial Masters could be in seclusion simultaneously.
Moreover, they each had their own experiences with seclusion.
They all knew that simultaneous seclusion could hardly be called seclusion.
Whether it was a man and a woman, or two men, in a small, semi-enclosed environment filled with hormones and sweat, spending days and nights together, it was easy for things to go wrong.
If the genders were compatible, they might even end up with a new life after the seclusion!
Qian Dong's eyes lit up, "Perhaps, perhaps it's Tang Wen's fiancée, who is in seclusion with him."
This excuse was obviously fake, and everyone knew it.
But except for Bai Youruo, who felt a bit uneasy, everyone else was quite satisfied.
Qian Sanduo laughed, "In that case, let's forget about the bet. We were not very hospitable the other day. Today, the General's mansion is hosting a banquet. Young Mistress Bai, and you two ladies, please!"
Bai Youruo agreed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Before they could walk far, the sound of the Vibration Fist resumed.
None of them turned back, but their steps slowed slightly.
What a monster!
Is he even human?
Tang Wen, engrossed in his rigorous training, was completely oblivious to all of this.
At the General's mansion, during the banquet, after half the food and wine had been consumed.
Bai Youruo recounted her experiences to the two Generals.
She did not try to hide anything or fabricate a story.
The people present were not easily fooled.
As the Thirteenth Miss of the Bai Family, she had her wits about her.
She wouldn't try to deceive others as if they were fools.
Moreover, Tang Wen had saved their lives, and Bai Youruo didn't want to lie.
It was about two or three months ago.
At that time, this land, including the area around the Tri-Alliance City.
The drought was not as severe, and the weather was not as hot.
On a fine and sunny day.
Bai Youruo and her two companions, escorted by two Transcendent-Level Martial Artists, rode Mutated Beasts towards Mountain Chasing City.
On the night they arrived at the borders of Mountain Chasing City.
They were ambushed by a premeditated attack. Three Transcendents and five Martial Masters suddenly appeared and struck before dawn, in the pitch-black night.
The two Transcendents covered their retreat, and they had to run three Wind-Chasing Horses to death to barely escape the encirclement.
Having lost their means of transportation, Bai Youruo and her companions managed to shake off their pursuers.
After days of stumbling and fleeing, they arrived in the northwest, near the Black Mountain Camp.
What happened next is known to everyone.
Because of their striking appearances, they caught the attention of the Black Mountain Battalion and had to flee again, eventually encountering Tang Wen.
After finishing her words, she looked at General Zhou and continued:
"I would like to request your camp's assistance in going to Mountain Chasing City to retrieve something for me! Once the item is obtained, I will surely offer a generous reward!"
After speaking, Young Mistress Bai gazed intently at everyone at the table.
She first looked at General Zhou.
General Zhou quickly lowered his head, picked up his teacup, and began sipping slowly.
Her gaze then shifted to General Zhao.
General Zhao picked up his chopsticks, held his bowl, and started continuously picking up dishes, as if he had suddenly discovered how delicious the food on the table was.
Her eyes turned to Commander Qian Sanduo.
Commander Qian stood up first: "I'll go check on the dishes!"
That left Qian Dong.
Bai Youruo glanced at him, seemingly without much hope, and calmly shifted her gaze away.
The slightly tipsy Qian Dong: Huh? What do you mean by that?
Am I, the esteemed Commander of the Guards, not allowed to voice my opinion or lend a hand at this moment?
Is that it?
He straightened his posture, ready to say a few words.
General Zhao secretly glanced at him, his eyes cold.
Qian Dong immediately hunched over, picked up his chopsticks, and began eating voraciously.
Voicing opinions? What's more important than eating?
Bai Youruo remained calm; the Flame Camp's reaction was within her expectations.
She had been worried about this very situation, that they might not be willing to get involved in this mess.
That's why she wanted to test if she could first make a breakthrough with Tang Wen.
If she could persuade Tang Wen, she could turn the situation from passive to active.
Moreover, it wouldn't require too many resources.
At the moment, the Flame Camp hadn't responded, nor had they outright rejected her.
As the daughter of the Bai family, Bai Youruo understood.
It wasn't that the people from the Flame Camp were afraid.
Rather, it was time to discuss the price.
She picked up her wine cup, took a sip, and then ate a piece of braised pork. After swallowing, she calmly dropped a bombshell:
"Your camp's Mountain-Cracking Cannon Fist seems to only reach the Astral Martial Realm, which you call the Queen-Level. Is that the limit?"
What?
General Zhou immediately put down his teacup, and General Zhao stopped his chopsticks.
Commander Qian Sanduo stood up and poured a cup of wine for Young Mistress Bai.
Qian Dong forgot to swallow the food in his mouth, looking like a dumbfounded goose.
Then, Qian Dong looked at Bai Youruo in disbelief.
What does this mean?
Is it what I think it means?
Can she provide a Cultivation Method beyond the Queen-Level?
Qian Dong suddenly felt choked, struggling to breathe.
The two generals exchanged glances, their hearts pounding: It seems this matter is even bigger than we imagined!
Otherwise, why would she offer such a Cultivation Method to lure us in?
Putting down the wine pot, Qian Sanduo also understood. His excitement faded as he glanced at the two generals and took the initiative to speak:
"That's correct, our Mental Meditation Technique. That's why the Queen is stuck at this level."
Bai Youruo was slightly surprised: These guys are really composed.
She said, "If I were to provide a Mental Meditation Technique to your camp, I wonder if the Queen would be willing to come out and lend me a hand?"
Qian Sanduo didn't dare to respond.
General Zhou's expression changed slightly. After thinking, he firmly and slowly shook his head: "The Queen is the highest commander of our camp and will not act lightly."
"What about the two generals?" Bai Youruo hadn't been confident about persuading the Flame Queen either.
In the past few days, she had learned that the Queen was not old and was undoubtedly a genius.
If it weren't for her insistence on guarding the small camp in front of her, with her talent, she
could easily join any major force in Tri-Alliance City as a guest elder and obtain a higher-level Cultivation Method.
Moreover, as long as she reached the required realm, becoming a core figure in a major force would be no problem at all.