Chapter 1001: This Secret Realm is Fragrant

(Illustration 7)

Title: I’ve Fallen, What About You?

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“Hey, stop chatting. It’s time to go in.”

Not long after the story ended, someone nearby urged them forward.

But the tale had eased the tension among the crowd.

They stepped onto the platform, preparing to enter the secret realm.

Just then, the storyteller seemed to remember something. He told Ye Wenxin behind him, “Also, legend has it that while Immortal Lord Taohua was good at everything, her illusions were top-notch. We need to be careful once we go— Oof. Who kicked me?!”

Someone had kicked him into the portal before he could finish his warning. Ye Wenxin looked on in exasperation and met a familiar pair of eyes.

“Senior Sister Hanyan?” Ye Wenxin blurted out.

Huang Hanyan paused upon hearing her name. She took off her mask and handed it to Ye Wenxin.

“As Senior Brother Mei said, there are dangerous illusions inside, but they’re triggered through scent,” Huang Hanyan explained calmly. “This mask blocks certain smells. It should come in handy for you.”

Ye Wenxin took the mask and thanked her.

It technically went against the rules. However, since Ye Wenxin was the last to enter, the Secret Guards just turned a blind eye.

Huang Hanyan’s familiarity with the secret realm made Ye Wenxin realize her recent achievements were likely tied to Long Qingyue.

“Thank you.”

“I just hope you won’t avoid me next time you see me,” Huang Hanyan muttered with a pout. She was worried about Ye Wenxin’s safety. But as an inspector, this was as far as she could go to help her.

Ye Wenxin awkwardly looked away. Huang Hanyan gently nudged her into the portal.

Her vision twisted but quickly stabilized. When it cleared, what lay before her was a scene out of paradise.

Flowers were in full bloom everywhere. It was breathtaking. One glance made her feel as if she could live in such a beautiful place forever.

Ye Wenxin immediately noticed something off with this. She put on the mask Huang Hanyan had given her and began meditating on the Unfettered Heart Sutra.

The flowers’ beautiful façade instantly melted, revealing terrifying man-eating plants. They seemed capable of secreting a corrosive liquid.

After a few steps forward, Ye Wenxin spotted half-eaten skeletons. The remaining flesh was still fresh. These people had likely died not long ago.

She walked on, intending to find Han Shanxue and the others before truly beginning her adventure.

But this secret realm was vast. Ye Wenxin slowly followed the path, hoping to discover what made the place special.

At the highest point, she was stunned to see a city in the distance.

“I’m not seeing things this time, am I?”

Ye Wenxin became speechless upon seeing the big city.

There were skyscrapers and entertainment venues, none matching the style of this world. They were unmistakably buildings from Earth.

Ye Wenxin hadn’t seen such a sight in ages. She rubbed her eyes in disbelief, but the modern cityscape remained.

Was the secret realm reflecting something from her memories, or had Immortal Lord Taohua originally been from Earth?

Either way, Ye Wenxin decided to check out the city.

She began walking along the path toward her destination. Various flowers bloomed around her, their beauty making the place seem like a wonderland.

Yet, beneath that beauty was deadly poison. Ye Wenxin stayed alert for anything unusual.

It wasn’t long before she came across a lawn care worker.

The woman wore loose modern workwear that hid her figure. Wielding a grass trimmer, she carefully cut the overgrown grass nearby.

At first glance, she seemed approachable enough. Ye Wenxin stepped forward and greeted her, “Hey there, beautiful. What are you up to?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m cutting grass!” The worker rolled her eyes dramatically, looking at Ye Wenxin like she was clueless.

When their eyes met, both women froze.

The woman looked strikingly like Jin Xiaoqin.

But it wasn’t her, just an illusion the secret realm had conjured.

As Ye Wenxin considered how to keep the conversation going, the woman suddenly posed a question.

“Hey beautiful, are you cosplaying or something?”

Ye Wenxin felt oddly happy to hear the familiar Earth term, even if it was all fake.

“Kinda,” she replied. “I went out for a photoshoot but got lost on the way back. Could you tell me how to get to the city?”

Her suspicion grew stronger. This secret realm reflected something from each person’s heart. She had probably fallen into Immortal Lord Taohua’s illusion the moment she entered.

She had seen similar scenes in the peach blossom demon’s illusion. However, that couldn’t even come close to how real this seemed now.

It felt like she had truly returned to Earth, speaking with a real living person.

“I see. Well, there sure are a lot of you cosplayers. Seven or eight of you came by earlier,” said the Jin Xiaoqin look-alike.

Smiling, she casually tossed her grass trimmer into a nearby bin and shrugged off her workwear.

Underneath, she wore a cream-colored T-shirt and denim shorts, revealing long legs and a curvy figure. Ye Wenxin subconsciously compared her impressive body to the real Jin Xiaoqin’s while asking, “That so? Where did they go?”

“Some got scared off—said I was carrying a demonic beast or whatnot. The other ones just asked for directions and left. One, though, I threw into that box over there.”

The woman seemed to have a fondness for big, loud things. She soon rolled a motorcycle out from a nearby garage.

The bike was sleek and beautiful. The woman looked wild and rebellious riding it, especially in that outfit.

Ye Wenxin let out a casual “oh,” her gaze shifting toward the box. She noticed a liquid slowly seeping out from it.

It was carmine in color, with an unmistakable metallic smell.

Ye Wenxin frowned slightly but politely asked, “Mind if I look inside?”

“Be my guest.”

The woman leaned half her body against the motorcycle, staring at Ye Wenxin with open curiosity, as if she found her unusually interesting.

“Thanks.” Ye Wenxin opened the box. Unsurprisingly, the dismembered corpse of a man lay inside.

He had been hacked apart with a grass trimmer. His head was facing her when she lifted the lid, eyes wide open as if he had died with unresolved grievance.

Although she didn’t recognize him, judging by the tattered remnants of his clothes, he was likely one of the participants.

Still, she wondered what the man had done to provoke this mysterious being.

Intrigued by Ye Wenxin’s calmness, the woman asked what she thought.

“Not bad. Just a bit messy with the cuts,” Ye Wenxin replied. Reaching into the box, she quickly retrieved the man’s waist token.