Chapter 137: A Prophetic Utterance

"How did you change back?"
Chu Xiaotong looked at Xu Zhe, who had resumed his original appearance, and asked with a smile that was not a smile, "Did you not like how you looked just now?"

"This isn't a matter of whether I liked it or not; it's a matter of necessity," Xu Zhe said earnestly. "You know, I generally have a strong aversion to cross-dressing. However, dressing up as you wasn't too hard to stomach—the problem is that you kept laying your hands on me, which felt quite perverted."

"..." Chu Xiaotong froze instantly.

Although she heard all of Xu Zhe's words, her mind seemed to latch onto only one sentence: that dressing up as her wasn't too hard to stomach.

Could this... be interpreted as him accepting and liking her appearance?

Oh my!

What was this guy getting at?

They were supposed to be like brothers; would things get awkward if this continued?

Chu Xiaotong fell into deep thought.

Seeing her silent, Xu Zhe felt a sense of relief.

It seemed Chu Xiaotong had grown up and matured a bit; she was actually capable of listening to others and reflecting on her actions.

That was good.

As expected of his buddy Tong, knowing when to yield and when to stand tall was the mark of a true hero. It wasn't in vain that he had disguised himself as her—at least it didn't entirely count as cross-dressing.

*Knock, knock.*

At that moment, a soft knock came from the bedroom door.

"General Chu, might it be convenient to discuss military matters?" a gentle male voice came from outside.

Xu Zhe was startled. The person at the door seemed to be one of the two early Tribulation Stage experts who had accompanied Chu Xiaotong; he recognized that aura.

However, he had no intention of turning back into Chu Xiaotong right now. Moreover, since the real person was right here, failing to dismiss the avatar would make things rather bizarre if the visitor walked in and saw two Chu Xiaotongs.

What should he do?

Xu Zhe cast a glance at Chu Xiaotong.

"It's fine, just one of my deputy generals. Perfect timing—we can inform them that the next battle will await the demon clan at the third defense line," Chu Xiaotong said with a calm smile, having read Xu Zhe's thoughts.

"If I show up in front of them like this, they'll probably guess that I was impersonating you. Are you sure you won't be affected?" Xu Zhe asked directly.

"Under normal circumstances, it would have some impact. But the situation is different now; you've brought the mid-grade battle array and made a monumental contribution. Even if they guess you impersonated me, they aren't stupid enough to make an issue of it. Besides, saying anything would be useless and would needlessly offend both of us—why bother?" Chu Xiaotong smiled, entirely unconcerned.

Xu Zhe understood her logic. In other words, even if someone did bring up the identity impersonation, he possessed the mid-grade battle array; if it truly came down to it, his merits would offset his faults, causing no real trouble for Chu Xiaotong.

"Besides, rumors are already flying that there's a traitor within the Vermilion Bird Army. If I claim that I instructed you to assume my identity to confuse the traitor, they won't have a leg to stand on," Chu Xiaotong added.

Xu Zhe was taken aback. "You've gotten smarter."

"???"

Chu Xiaotong wore a look filled with threatening question marks. "What is that supposed to mean? I've always been exceptionally brilliant. You didn't think so?"

"I did, I did, I did," Xu Zhe nodded repeatedly.

"You..." Chu Xiaotong arched an eyebrow, glaring at him.

"General Chu?"

The person outside knocked on the door once more.

"Come in," Chu Xiaotong shot Xu Zhe an exasperated, sideways glance before turning toward the door. Her tone shifted, becoming cold and authoritative, full of vigor and the imposing demeanor of a seasoned general.

With a soft creak, the door was pushed open, and a man clad in red armor stepped inside.

The man was tall without appearing bulky, with finely chiseled, distinct facial features and eyes as bright as the morning stars. His angular face radiated a masculine, domineering aura.

The moment the door opened, his face carried a faint smile and a hint of gentleness.

Yet, the instant he stepped across the threshold and saw Xu Zhe, the smile froze on his face. The gentleness within his rugged exterior instantly morphed into ruthlessness.

"Audacious! How dare you trespass into the General's camp..."

The man immediately shouted in a deep, murderous voice.

However, he paused abruptly, only just realizing who was standing before him.

Xu Zhe! That peerless prodigy who had wiped out the entire Mo family and was dubbed Old Devil Xu!

"Blue Town, what are you making such a fuss about? Xu Zhe is an ally I invited in secret," Chu Xiaotong frowned and reprimanded.

"Xiaotong, this..." The deputy general named Blue Town's expression darkened as a thought crossed his mind.

Xu Zhe looked curiously back and forth between Chu Xiaotong and Blue Town.

Unbelievable!

Just outside the door, this Blue Town had addressed her as "General Chu," but now he was calling her straight-up "Xiaotong"...

No way. This guy had poor character and was entirely unworthy of his buddy Tong.

Reading people at a glance, Xu Zhe frowned, sensing that it would be necessary to warn Chu Xiaotong later so she wouldn't accidentally fall into a fire pit.

"This what? Xu Zhe has brought us a brilliant method to counter the demon clan. We are bound to win a great victory this time," Chu Xiaotong said firmly.

"What? Just relying on him being at the Core Formation... wait? He has reached the Nascent Soul stage?" Blue Town was suddenly startled, only now realizing that Xu Zhe had stepped into the Nascent Soul realm.

"Audacious! Who gave you the gall to speak like that? You motherf—"

Chu Xiaotong instantly flew into a rage, letting loose a string of profanities.

"Hey, hey, hey, no need for that, absolutely no need, we're all our own people," Xu Zhe hurriedly rushed forward to cover Chu Xiaotong's mouth, stepping in to mediate.

Jokes aside, with a major battle looming, how could she start clashing with her own people first?

A little skepticism was completely normal, after all.

Even if she felt annoyed, they could settle accounts after the battle was over.

Besides, he, Xu Zhe, was not some petty, hot-headed hothead who would fly off the handle at the slightest provocation.

Xu Zhe sent a voice transmission to Chu Xiaotong, soothing her with sweet and reasonable words until she finally calmed down.

At the doorway, Blue Town's expression was already pitch black. His tightly clenched fists were hidden behind his back, veins bulging, gripped with such ferocious strength that they trembled.

Chu Xiaotong's outburst didn't mean much to him; that fiery temper perfectly matched her persona as the Valkyrie.

Yet this Xu Zhe actually dared to reach out and cover Chu Xiaotong's mouth?

Blue Town's heart burned with a raging fire of jealousy. He had joined the Vermilion Bird Army and followed Chu Xiaotong for so many years, conquering the entire Southern Heaven Continent, yet he had never even had the chance to touch Chu Xiaotong's hand.

And now, this Xu Zhe, who had only awakened a few dozen days ago and was merely in the Nascent Soul stage, had touched her mouth directly?

Damn it, if he could touch her mouth, could touching her legs be far behind? Could conquering that empire be far behind?

"Deputy General Blue, go summon Deputy General Zhang and the commanders of all the other camps. I have an announcement to make," Chu Xiaotong said, her anger quelled by Xu Zhe. However, she offered no pleasant expression, her tone remaining icy.

Blue Town's eyes widened instantly.

Just a moment ago she had called him Blue Town, and now she was calling him Deputy General Blue?

"What are you standing there frozen for? Go!" Chu Xiaotong barked.

"Yes!"

Blue Town replied through gritted teeth, turned on his heel, and stalked off fiercely.

Chu Xiaotong waved a hand, and the door slammed shut with a heavy *bang*.

"Tsk, it's been so years, how come your temper hasn't changed at all?" Xu Zhe said with a smile.

"I'm happy to be this way," Chu Xiaotong glared at him, unamused.

"Of course, your happiness is priceless," Xu Zhe replied with a chuckle, silently reflecting that childhood sweethearts truly were childhood sweethearts—unwaveringly loyal.

"Don't play the good guy here. I could tell with a single glance just now: before he even opened his mouth to offend you, you already looked like you had a bone to pick with him, didn't you?"

Chu Xiaotong narrowed her eyes, sizing Xu Zhe up. "Did he offend you previously? No wait, ever since you awakened, he hasn't even returned to the Four Continents, has he?"

"No, no, I just felt that..."

Xu Zhe hesitated. After all, Blue Town was a deputy general of the Vermilion Bird Army and had followed Chu Xiaotong through thick and thin for years, contributing both hard work and merit. Speaking ill of someone behind their back didn't seem quite right.

However, Tong was one of their own, and since this concerned her lifelong happiness, he had to speak up.

"This Blue Town... is not a good match." Xu Zhe chose to express it as tactfully as possible.

Not a good match?

Chu Xiaotong was stunned. Did that mean Blue Town wasn't a good person?

That didn't seem quite right; Blue Town at least remained quite loyal, and his strength was decent.

Yet Xu Zhe had never been wrong about anything before...

"Fine, understood. I'll keep it in mind."

Chu Xiaotong nodded. Regardless, she would maintain an extra layer of vigilance toward Blue Town from now on. This was the cultivation world after all; people she could truly trust were few and far between, and caution was the parent of safety.

Meanwhile, Blue Town walked far away from the General's camp and reached a deserted corner. The storage ring on his finger flashed faintly.

He retrieved a pitch-black jade token covered in intricate engravings.

With a flick of his consciousness, he sent out a message:

"Xu Zhe has appeared at the third defense line camp on the borders of the Southern Heaven Continent."

***

[That's all for this chapter today; the next update will be during the day tomorrow.]