Chapter 23: Who

The Luo clansman’s eyes went wide.

He stared in disbelief at the blood-red sword jutting through his chest.

His lips trembled, but no sound came out.

He had actually… been fooled so easily.

Struggling, he tilted his head upward, finally seeing the face of his killer.

The man wore a mask—half laughing, half crying, eerie beyond words.

Through the hollow eye sockets, a pair of cold eyes stared back at him, devoid of mercy.

That man held him by the back, gently lowering him down.

“Relax. Breathe deeply. The dizziness is normal.”

He tried to resist, but his strength was gone.

His vision blurred.

Each breath grew harder.

In his final moments, the last thing he saw was—

The masked figure’s outline twisting, blurring, reshaping…

Until it slowly became his own appearance.

Some time later, Luo Chen’s party gradually regrouped.

Most wore grim expressions.

That sword strike just now had been too sudden—

One step slower and they would’ve been corpses.

“Damn it…” a Luo clansman muttered under his breath.
“Luo Jiutian’s viciousness beyond belief.”

“He really means to wipe us all out?” another ground his teeth.

Whispers rippled through the group.
Some were furious, others stunned.
But most of all—they were afraid.
Especially Su Xinyuan.

She had thought Luo Jiutian, no matter his grudges, would never truly strike.

After all, the party included Luo Chen, the young master of the Luo clan, as well as her and Su Zimo from the Su clan.

Even if he’d gone mad, surely he would fear their families’ backing and not go too far.

But the reality was undeniable.
Not only had he attacked, but his strike had been merciless, leaving no room for retreat.

Su Xinyuan tried to mask her fear, but the faint tremble at her fingertips betrayed her.

She turned her gaze to Luo Chen, silently pleading.

Luo Chen noticed at once, and his heart sank.

If this fear spread any further, the team would collapse from within.

So he stepped forward, speaking in a calm voice:
“Everyone—don’t panic.”

The others looked at him.

“Aren’t we all still standing?” Luo Chen’s eyes swept across the group.
“That strike was powerful, yes, but it succeeded only because it was a sneak attack.
Face-to-face, Luo Jiutian wouldn’t fare so well.”

“Luo Shao’s right,” someone quickly agreed.
“He only relied on a cheap trick!”

“Exactly! What, does he think he can just keep swinging like that forever without pause?”

A few quick words, and the panic began to ease.

But then Su Zimo frowned, lowering his voice:
“Wait. Aren’t we missing someone? I think it’s… that guy.”

The group froze.
They hastily counted heads—
Sure enough, one person was gone.

“That guy’s missing?” Luo Chen asked, brows knitting.

Before anyone could reply, footsteps rustled in the mist.

“I’m here!”

A slightly panicked voice rang out.
A Luo clansman stumbled from the fog, disheveled but smiling with relief.

“Finally found you all.” He panted heavily, clothes in disarray.
“That sword strike knocked me off course—I circled forever. Thought I’d never catch up.”

In his words, everyone else exhaled in relief.

Only Luo Chen’s eyes remained sharp, narrowing as he studied the newcomer.

The clansman noticed Luo Chen’s stare, then chuckled nervously.
“What’s wrong, Young Master? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me. I’m Luo… that guy.”

Luo Chen said nothing.
He simply stepped forward.
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he suddenly raised two fingers and pressed them to “that guy’s” brow, probing his cultivation and aura with divine sense.

Moments later, Luo Chen withdrew his hand.
His expression betrayed nothing.

‘Impossible,’ he thought.

Something about this man felt wrong.
But his cultivation, his aura—nothing was amiss.

Seeing Luo Chen remain silent, “that guy” looked puzzled.
“What is it, Young Master?”

That snapped Luo Chen back.

His eyes shifted, then he suddenly smiled.
“It’s nothing. Just… after what happened, I wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt.”

“Ah—scared me for a second.” “That guy” scratched his head sheepishly.
“I thought I’d done something wrong.”

The silly look on his face made others laugh.

“Hahaha, with your guts? What could you possibly mess up?”

“Next time you get lost, just shout louder. Don’t make us go looking for you!”

Some teased, some patted him on the shoulder.
The atmosphere lightened immediately.

Watching from behind, Baihu Xuanjun’s mouth twitched.

She truly couldn’t understand—
Who in their right mind would name their child something so vague?

Even stranger, how could everyone else treat it as perfectly normal?

Had she been asleep too long and missed some bizarre cultural shift?
Or… had she stumbled into a pack of lunatics?

Yes—“that guy” was Luo Jiutian in disguise.

From the blood-sword killing to the transformation of his face, Baihu Xuanjun had witnessed everything.

But what shocked her most wasn’t the mask’s effect—
It was his acting.

A moment ago, he had been a merciless killer.
Now, in the blink of an eye, he blended seamlessly into the enemy ranks, laughing and joking as though nothing had happened.

For most cultivators, even imitating another’s expression would expose flaws.

Yet he had captured not only the tone of voice, but the eyes, the micro-expressions, the smallest of habits—perfectly.

“What in the world has this boy been through…” she muttered quietly, eyes complicated as she stared at that smiling face.

Meanwhile, Luo Chen wasted no time.

Seeing the crowd’s morale stabilize, he seized the moment:
“Everyone—”

All eyes turned to him.

“When we regrouped earlier, we wasted precious time.
At this rate, Luo Jiutian has likely fled far ahead.”

He spoke plainly.
No exaggeration, no pretension.

“If we remain here spinning our wheels, we’ll never catch him.
Worse, we’ll waste the chance to explore the secret realm.

The realm will not stay open forever.
Every moment lost could decide our future cultivation.
I trust none of you want to leave empty-handed.”

The crowd nodded one after another.

Su Zimo asked, “Then what does Young Master propose?”

“Split up.” Luo Chen said bluntly.
“Divide into groups to explore.
That way, we won’t lose opportunities, nor will Luo Jiutian be able to pick us off one by one.
But first—we need to get out of here.”

The proposal met unanimous approval.

After a brief rest, Luo Chen led them forward, carefully navigating toward safer ground.

Though the Misty Forest clouded both sight and divine sense, with ground markings left earlier and the guidance of certain treasures, they eventually emerged from its grasp.

Once certain the surroundings were safe, Luo Chen stopped.

“This place will do for now,” he said.
“Next, it’s time to divide into groups.”