Chapter 453: Under the Influence of Devious Forces, Aunt Becomes Master, and Nephew Becomes Disciple

“Everything is ready, just waiting for the final step.”

After several days of nonstop preparation, Zhao Nishang had finally set everything in place.

Now, all that was left was to “lure Wang Haoran into the trap.”

The reason for her urgency was simple—

The New Year was approaching.

Such an important day, she had to spend it with her beloved disciple, Wang Haoran.

And at the stroke of midnight, they had to be together.

However, when she shared her thoughts, Wang Haoran seemed a bit reluctant.

After a brief inquiry, Zhao Nishang quickly understood why—

On New Year’s Eve, Wang Haoran planned to set off fireworks with the women in his household at midnight…

“Bang—bang—bang!” Fireworks to ring in the New Year!

If she, as an elder, were to join, everyone would feel too restrained!

“Hmph, once he has women, he forgets about his master…”

So, to solve this problem, the thoughtful Zhao Nishang decided to make herself one of the “women”!

“Hmph, Haoran, I’ve figured out your thoughts!”

“This time, not only will I make you take the initiative, but…”

“Afterward, you’ll feel guilty toward me!”

Zhao Nishang clenched her hand in the air, as if she were grasping her disciple tightly—

“Sorry, Haoran.”

“I’m going to use some tricks on you!”

***

And so it went.

Wang Haoran was soon brought to the ruins he had visited before by his overly enthusiastic master.

Though called ruins, it was mostly filled with scrap metal and junk, with nothing valuable to find.

The two treated it like a casual stroll, sightseeing and bonding.

Before long.

Under Zhao Nishang’s deliberate guidance.

They both entered an unremarkable room—

Suddenly.

“Bang—boom!!!”

The ground shook violently!

As soon as they stepped inside, the stone door behind them slammed shut, trapping them inside!

There were no exits on any side—it was a true secret room!

“……” Wang Haoran glanced at the sealed stone door, naturally connecting the situation to the “plot”—

Ruins, secret room, two people alone…

The next step would be… the “magical seductive formation”!

“Nice!”

Wang Haoran perked up, eagerly using his “Appraisal” skill to search—

“Wait, I remember we passed this place last time…”

“Though we didn’t enter, I used my x-ray vision… and there was nothing…”

“Could it be that the formation can’t be detected until it’s triggered?”

With this suspicion, Wang Haoran carefully examined the surroundings.

And discovered—

“There’s no magical formation here at all!”

All he found were ordinary defensive and reinforcement formations.

“System, could it be that your ‘Appraisal’ skill’s formation database isn’t updated?!”

[…Impossible, absolutely impossible!]

“…Alright, fair enough.”

Wang Haoran sensed that the aura surrounding the secret room was, at most, late-legendary level, far from any mythical realm power.

His master could easily break out, there was no way they’d be trapped—

“Oh no, Haoran, this is bad!”

“But to his surprise, his master Zhao Nishang was “panicking” in the face of the “sudden” predicament:

“I sense mythical realm power here!”

“…?” Wang Haoran watched as his late-legendary master “furiously” kicked the door.

Only to be “blown back” several steps, showing a helpless expression!

“Hmph, I reinforced this door myself!”

“Even I would have to kick it dozens of times to break it.”

“Haoran, you’re just a Grandmaster, don’t bother struggling!”

Seeing Wang Haoran mimic her and kick the door, Zhao Nishang thought.

But what she didn’t realize was that Wang Haoran was kicking the door to verify something—

“……”

“Wow, Master, your acting is a bit weak!”

“Even if I weren’t a legendary expert, I wouldn’t fall for this!”

Wang Haoran quickly figured it out—his master had deliberately brought him here and trapped them both in the secret room!

“What is Master planning…”

“…Does she want to use some magical formation?”

“No, no, she wouldn’t think of such a bizarre seductive formation…”

“Could it be… she’s going to use those potions again…”

Wang Haoran had a vague idea of his master’s intentions.

He hadn’t expected her to be so bold!

“Just as I hoped!”

So, “shaking his head to clear his thoughts,” he put on a “naive and gullible” expression to play along—

“Mythical realm power?!”

“Why would it appear in this broken place?!”

Zhao Nishang explained, “Cough, cough, anything is possible!”

“After all, the more powerful someone is, the stranger their quirks.”

“Leaving a strange formation in a strange place is perfectly reasonable!”

“……”

Wang Haoran feigned worry:

“Master, does that mean we’re in serious trouble?!”

“Yes! We’re in big trouble! This formation, even I can’t break it!”

“After all—”

“Under the power of a mythical realm’s ‘Dao,’ neither legendary nor Grandmaster warriors stand a chance!”

But “Dao” is the power of heaven and earth, so—

“All things have a solution, no matter the ‘Dao.'”

“Haoran, let’s search the room carefully for clues!”

“Maybe we can find a way out!”

“……” Though Zhao Nishang’s words sounded logical, Wang Haoran could tell she was making it up.

“I understand, Master!”

But he still played along, searching the room as instructed.

Until—

“Master, look, there’s a stone tablet here!”

“A stone tablet? Let me see!”

—Seeing Wang Haoran find the object she had planted in advance, Zhao Nishang was pleased and walked over, pretending to study it curiously:

“Let me see… there are words on it…”

Then, she and Wang Haoran read the weathered, ancient inscription aloud—

“Only a married couple, hand in hand, can leave this room!”

“To exit, please prove you are a married couple properly!”

—That’s what was engraved on the stone.

Reading the words, both of them blushed instantly.

“Wow… this is too ridiculous…”

It really was the “Room You Can’t Leave Without Doing Something!”

Though Wang Haoran was genuinely shocked by his master’s “outrageous behavior.”

His blushing was just an act.

As for Zhao Nishang, “Y-yes…”

She had carved the stone herself, so she wasn’t surprised.

Her blush was because she was thinking about the upcoming…

Process of proving they were a couple.

?