C12 He Had Seen the Overlord Before

Shen Wuyou returned to the carriage, while the guards busied themselves in the courtyard.

They swiftly cleared the overgrown vines and weeds, and tidied up the rooms with remarkable efficiency, their strength evident in their brisk work.

Within a quarter of an hour, Chiying informed Shen Wuyou that a clean room was ready.

Shen Wuyou entered the room and glanced around. It appeared to be the master bedroom of the Overlord's Keep, long abandoned, with much of the furniture in disrepair. Replacements would have to wait; there was no time for such concerns now.

"Bring that woman in," Shen Wuyou instructed Chiying.

Soon after, Chiying carried the unconscious woman with black hair into the room.

Shen Wuyou gestured to the freshly made bed. "Put her there."

Once Chiying had laid the woman down, Shen Wuyou said, "Alright, you're free to attend to your own tasks."

Chiying cast a glance at Shen Wuyou and the woman on the bed, her brow furrowed, then left the room.

Shen Wuyou approached the bedside, observing the black-haired woman.

The resemblance was uncanny; she bore a striking similarity to the woman from his past life, the one with whom fate had not been kind. Yet, upon closer inspection, subtle differences in her features became apparent.

"Wake up, wake up," Shen Wuyou gently tapped the woman's cheek.

At his urging, the woman's eyes fluttered open.

She recoiled like a frightened rabbit, retreating to the corner of the bed and gazing at Shen Wuyou with terror.

"Don't be afraid," Shen Wuyou reassured her. "What's your name?"

The woman remained silent, her eyes fixed on him, her body shaking uncontrollably.

"Alright, I'll start with an introduction. My name is Shen Wuyou, and I rescued you from those villagers. If I had intended to harm you, I wouldn't have bothered giving you the Elixir of Rebirth – it's quite valuable," Shen Wuyou explained, stepping back to lean against the window, arms folded as he watched her. "So, as a fair exchange, you ought to tell me your name."

Shen Wuyou had assumed the most relaxed posture possible, and the woman had begun to regain a semblance of calm. After a moment's silence, she finally spoke, "I... I don't have a name."

"You don't have a name? Then how did you end up in Redrock Town?"

"I don't know. When I woke up... I was here. They... they wanted to kill me. I don't know anything, I can't remember anything!"

Amnesia?

Isn't that a bit cliché?

No, perhaps she's concealing something.

If I were in her shoes, I wouldn't be completely open with a stranger either.

"You claim to know nothing, yet you foresaw the devil tide, didn't you?" Shen Wuyou pressed. "Don't tell me it was merely a wild guess."

At the mention of the 'devil tide,' the woman lapsed back into a state resembling madness.

"The devil tide... the devil tide is coming, they're all coming!!!"

She leapt from the bed in a frenzy and dashed toward the door, screaming.

"Hey!!!"

Shen Wuyou hurried to intercept her, grasping at the woman's frayed black robe.

Rip!

With a sharp tear, the robe fell apart, and she continued to run, now bare.

Damn, what shoddy craftsmanship!

Shen Wuyou gave chase, but before the woman could reach the door, she collapsed as if struck by lightning. Shen Wuyou rushed to catch her.

But how much strength could a pampered Crown Prince, who had never trained, possibly possess?

Far from catching her, he tumbled to the ground with her.

Thud!

Shen Wuyou managed to shield the woman's head at the expense of his own shoulder, which met the ground with a painful impact. The discomfort left him with no desire to savor the soft warmth in his arms.

As he was muttering under his breath, the door burst open and Chiying stormed in.

"Lord Crown Prince!!"

Chiying hadn't strayed far, keeping watch just outside. Hearing the commotion, she feared the worst. But upon entering, she found Shen Wuyou embracing a naked, black-haired woman on the floor.

"Don't leave!" Shen Wuyou called out urgently. "Come here, help her onto the bed!"

With a look of distaste, Chiying carried the unconscious black-haired woman to the bed.

Meanwhile, Shen Wuyou was off to the side, rotating his shoulders. The fall he took earlier had been quite harsh.

"Lord Crown Prince," Chiying approached Shen Wuyou and began, "Whatever your intentions, I won't interfere. But considering this woman's mysterious background, if you intend to favor her, please..."

"Stop!" Shen Wuyou quickly cut her off, clarifying, "You're mistaken; I'm not interested in her. I'm simply trying to figure out how she knew about the devil tide invasion."

"So, Lord Crown Prince, did you get any answers?"

"Just the mention of the devil tide seemed to drive her mad," Shen Wuyou said with a furrowed brow, gazing at the black-haired woman. "Let her rest here for today. Instruct the maids to ensure she's well cared for."

"And what will you do?"

"Me?" Shen Wuyou let out a light chuckle. "I have no plans to rest tonight. Come, it's about time for our visitor to arrive."

Exiting the room with Chiying in tow, they were met by a guard who reported that someone was requesting an audience outside the Overlord's Keep.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear," Shen Wuyou remarked, brushing off his clothes. "Let's go meet with the spokesperson from Redrock Town. Later on, I'll need you to back me up a bit."

"Cao Cao?" Chiying looked puzzled. Who was Cao Cao?

Shen Wuyou entered the main hall of the Overlord's Keep.

The place was in a state of disrepair, the entrance pillars weathered and on the brink of collapse. The furniture was battered and incomplete. Taking his seat at the head of the hall, Shen Wuyou couldn't help but worry about the chair giving way beneath him.

"Bring them in," he instructed.

Shortly, led by several guards, four men entered, including Ergou, whom Shen Wuyou had dispatched earlier.

Upon seeing Shen Wuyou, Ergou immediately knelt and reported, "Lord Overlord, I have completed the task you assigned to me."

"Good, you may leave," Shen Wuyou responded, his gaze shifting and sweeping over the other three men.

Among them, one was an elderly man with white eyebrows and a beard, likely in his seventies. The other two were middle-aged, dressed far more opulently than the rest of the townsfolk, with no visible patches or repairs on their clothing.

The elder stepped forward first, cupping his fists and bowing. "This humble one, Zhang Qi, has the honor of meeting you, Lord Overlord."

It seemed this white-bearded elder was the renowned Mr. Q of Redrock Town.

To fully assert his control over Redrock, Shen Wuyou had to consider the existing power holders. His sudden arrival effectively stripped them of their quasi-regal status. Should they harbor any resentment, covert schemes could pose numerous problems. Managing local strongmen was never a straightforward task.

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