Simultaneously traversing: the pinnacle of all realms

In the end, Lu Ze broke the silence and his own embarrassment—asking someone's son's friend in front of her mother whether he was trustworthy... really.

"Then I'll make it short, Sixth Sister-in-law, is Happy Forest—the same as Thunder Mountain Villa?"

Lu Ze knew that, based on Da Ben's age and the speculation from the original plot, Ben Lei Manor was probably renamed Happy Forest only in recent decades.

There should be quite a few well-informed people in the martial arts world who know about this, so he wasn't afraid of his sixth sister-in-law asking him how he knew.

Sixth Sister-in-law's hand paused slightly.

She was silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Yes." Her voice was calm, but her fingers tightened around the rag. "I understand. The Seven Heroes have arrived; you've probably come to find the Thunder Sword Master."

"Then, are you the Thunder Sword Master?" Lu Ze followed up with another question.

Sixth Sister-in-law lowered her head and looked at the long sword on the table.

Sixth Sister-in-law got up and paced back and forth. After a while, she said, "It wasn't me, young hero. Actually, Da Ben is the current master of the Thunder Sword."

Without the Demonic Cult's pursuit, Sixth Sister-in-law had no need to conceal Da Ben's identity as in the original story.

Her voice was a little hoarse.

"But the masters of the Thunderclap Sword... have almost all been fond of drinking and gambling. I don't know if it's because of their nature, or if the Thunderclap Sword Technique and its mental cultivation methods amplify these desires. Only by truly giving up drinking and gambling can one wield the Thunderclap Sword."

She looked up at Lu Ze.

"Da Ben is a good-natured and loyal guy, but he's too easily addicted. Whether it's alcohol or gambling, once he gets involved, he can't stop."

"The divine weapon has a spirit, and he can't take out the Thunderclap Sword yet. Although the spirit pigeons have sent a message that the seven swords are ready, I don't want Ben'er to take the sword in his current state. It's not that I'm afraid he can't lift it, but I'm afraid that once he picks it up... he won't be able to put it down."

Lu Ze remained silent for a while.

"And what about you, Sixth Sister-in-law?" he asked. "You also know the Thunderclap Sword Technique, right?"

Sixth Sister-in-law's body stiffened for a moment.

"How...how did you know?"

"I guessed," Lu Ze said. "You guard Happy Forest and Thunder Sword. If you weren't from Thunder Manor, you wouldn't do this."

"Moreover, as the current master of the Thunder Sword, Da Ben needs someone to teach him the Thunder Sword Technique."

Sixth Sister looked at him, her gaze now more scrutinizing.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Who I am is not important," Lu Ze said. "What's important is that I can help Da Ben."

He paused, then added, "Help Da Ben, and help Sixth Sister-in-law too."

Sixth Sister-in-law did not answer immediately.

She stood up, walked to the table, and reached out to stroke the scabbard of the sword, as if she were stroking the face of an old friend.

The sword was ordinary; it wasn't the Thunderclap Sword.

"When I was a child, I was a maid at Benlei Manor," she said softly, her voice filled with reminiscence. "The old master treated me like his own daughter, teaching me swordsmanship and how to be a person."

"Later, the old master of the manor passed away, and the manor disbanded. I guarded the Thunder Sword, raised Da Ben, and opened this inn."

It's not easy for a teenage girl in her late teens or early twenties to raise a child on her own, even with the resources of Benlei Manor.

She turned around and looked at Lu Ze.

"I do know the Thunderclap Sword Technique, but I have sworn never to use it again in my life. I am just a maid, someone who has sworn to protect this sword."

"I understand what you mean, young hero, to replace the Seven Swords Combined in place of Da Ben..."

She shook her head. "I don't have the qualifications or the ability. Only a true Thunder Sword Master can do this. Only a true Thunder Sword Master can unleash the full power of the Thunder Sword Technique. The seven swords combined are a matter of life and death, and not even the slightest deviation is acceptable."

Lu Ze nodded; this was roughly what he had guessed.

It's unclear whether Sixth Sister-in-law truly has shortcomings in the Thunderclap Sword Technique, or whether she's simply clinging to old friendships and remaining loyal to the original Thunderclap Sword Master, unwilling to take over this "cuckoo in the nest" situation.

"What if—" he carefully chose his words, "I have a way to get Da Ben to quit drinking and gambling and pick up the Thunder Sword?"

Sixth Sister-in-law's eyes widened slightly.

"What did you say?"

Lu Ze took a deep breath and laid out his plan in detail.

"The Demonic Cult is still far away from us, and they can't find this place for the time being."

"My idea is—we need you, Sixth Sister-in-law, to put on a show."

"Acting?" Sixth Sister frowned.

"Yes." Lu Ze nodded. "Act out a scene where the Demonic Cult attacks and you, Sixth Sister-in-law, fake your death."

Sixth Sister-in-law's expression changed.

"Don't worry, Sixth Sister-in-law, it's just a fake death," Lu Ze quickly added. "Yuhua Sword Master Dou Dou is a divine physician. He has plenty of ways to make you appear to be in a state of suspended animation, with no pulse and no breathing, but you're actually safe. Once Da Ben thinks you're dead, and in his grief he quits drinking and gambling, picks up the Thunder Sword, and you'll 'come back to life.'"

Sixth Sister-in-law remained silent for a long time.

The flame of the oil lamp flickered slightly, casting a swaying shadow on the wall.

"Are you sure he won't find out?" she finally asked.

"I'm sure," Lu Ze said. "Da Ben is loyal and righteous, but he has a rough personality. If it weren't for the death of a close relative, I doubt he would have been able to make up his mind to quit drinking and gambling."

"Even if one of us dies, Da Ben will at most be saddened, but he can't do it, and he can't make up his mind to quit drinking and gambling."

Sixth Sister-in-law fell silent again.

She looked down at the rag in her hand, folding it over and over until it became a neat little square.

"This plan..." She looked up, a slight smile playing on her lips, "isn't it a bit too audacious?"

Lu Ze was stunned for a moment.

"Aren't you afraid I'll tell Ben'er?" Sixth Sister asked, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

"Sixth Sister-in-law wouldn't do that," Lu Ze said. "Because you know, it's for his own good."

Sixth Sister-in-law stared at him for a long time, then sighed.

"You're a smart man, Young Master Lu." She placed the rag on the table. "And a bold one too."

"They planned to kill me shortly after we met," Sixth Sister said with a laugh.

Lu Ze remained silent, waiting for her reply.

"Okay," said Sixth Sister-in-law, "I promise you."

She stood up, walked to the table, picked up the sword, and gripped the hilt.

Her voice was tinged with emotion.

"That child is loyal and kind-hearted, and he has made a good friend."

She loosened the hilt of her sword, turned around to look at Lu Ze, her gaze much gentler than before.

"Young Master Lu, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

"Thank you for helping Ben'er," said Sixth Sister. "That child seems carefree, but he's actually slow-witted. He needs someone to give him a push."

Lu Ze shook his head, as if remembering something, and laughed, "Because Da Ben treats me like a brother."

"And it was mainly you, Sixth Sister-in-law, who helped him. I just provided a solution."

The two chatted for a few more minutes and finalized the details of the plan.

Tomorrow morning, the group will discuss the details again, and DouDou will give the fake death medicine to Sixth Sister-in-law.

As Lu Ze stepped out of the hut, a night breeze blew in his face, carrying the chill of late autumn.

He looked up at the sky; the moon was round and the stars were bright.

"I hope everything goes well," he said silently to himself.

-

The next morning, Lu Ze found Hong Mao and the others, pulled them aside, and whispered about what happened the night before and his plans.

"Da Ben is the Thunder Sword Master?!"

After hearing this, DouDou's eyes widened and its mouth opened into an "O" shape.

"You...you want me to give you the fake death potion?" he lowered his voice. "This is—cough cough, this is a very precious thing! I've only made a few!"

"One is enough," Lu Ze said.

"That won't do either!" Dou Dou hugged the medicine box and shrank back.

This is what DouDou kept for herself to save her life.

Rainbow Cat remained silent in thought, but Lu Ze believed that Rainbow Cat was not a stubborn person.

Sally was somewhat worried. "Young Master Lu, what if your plan goes wrong? Would Da Ben be unable to accept the truth?"

Throughout the journey, everyone present witnessed the changes in the relationship between Daben and Sally.

Although Sally was rather reserved and didn't respond, that idiot Da Ben didn't know how to hide his feelings.

"Have faith in Mercedes." After a moment of silence, it was Rainbow Cat, who hadn't responded before, who answered her.

"Why did you say that about DouDou?"

"I..." Dou Dou choked for a moment, "Of course I'm confident! But—"

"Then there's no problem." Lu Ze patted him on the shoulder. "After it's done, I'll grill you twenty chicken legs."

DouDou's eyes lit up.

Thirty.

"Twenty-five."

"make a deal!"

DouDou rummaged through the medicine box and pulled out a small porcelain bottle. She carefully poured out a gray pill, wrapped it in oil paper, and handed it to DouDou with a heavy heart.

"The Turtle Breathing Feigned Death Pill, once ingested, will cause the pulse to completely disappear and breathing to cease within an hour." He paused, a hint of pride in his expression, "and will automatically awaken after two hours, without any aftereffects."

"Two hours is enough."