He didn’t fully trust Feng.
Or rather, Angel maintained a level of caution towards everyone, especially since Feng was someone he had just met.
Feng told Angel that if he encountered difficulties, he could hand this painting over to the Turing Rubik’s Cube, and they would assist him. As for whether Feng’s words were true, Angel wasn’t sure. But he was certain that there must be some hidden message within the painting, recognizable to the Turing Rubik’s Cube wizards.
However, what Angel was most concerned about wasn’t this, but... the name of the painting.
Feng had said this painting’s name wasn’t meant for Angel, but for his True Body. Does this mean that Feng actually left a hidden message on the painting for his True Body?
What could this secret message be? Is it really as Feng said, just to maintain friendship with his true self, or is there something in it that could harm Angel?
Unable to decipher the information contained in the energy, Angel cannot fully trust Feng’s words.
Perhaps Feng wouldn’t lie about "the game set up by the Book of Kael," but this painting clearly falls outside the scope of that "game." Who knows if Feng has any hidden tricks?
To avoid such a scenario, Angel decided that as long as the situation was unclear and the energy could not be decoded, he would refrain from taking out this painting, especially not to show it to the "Turing Rubik’s Cube" or Feng’s true self.
With this in mind, Angel reached out and gently placed his finger on the frame of the painting.
The green pattern in his right eye surged and slowly leaped out of the socket, eventually enveloping the entire painting.
Soon, the green pattern extinguished, and the painting seemed unchanged, but only Angel knew that an invisible domain field now concealed it.
The energy in the painting was very high-level, and Angel was completely unfamiliar with it, worried that the energy itself might leak information externally. So, just in case, using the more arcane power of the green pattern, he directly concealed and contained the energy within the painting.
As long as the painting was not far from him, the domain field would continue to exist.
After setting the domain field, Angel prepared to put the painting away.
At that moment, Angel heard the vine door being pushed open.
Angel turned to see Nami Midori, with her golden eyes and green scales, slowly walking in.
Upon entering the Vine House, the first thing Nami Midori saw was the painting on the table that Angel had not yet put away.
Seeing Nami Midori’s gaze fall on the painting behind him, Angel thought for a moment and simply stepped aside, allowing Nami Midori to view the painting openly.
Angel didn’t mind Nami Midori seeing this painting, because she certainly wasn’t someone from the Turing Rubik’s Cube, nor did she know where Feng’s true self was.
Also, the energy within the painting was concealed, so it didn’t matter even if she looked at it.
"Is this... painted by Mr. Feng?"
Angel nodded.
Nami Midori gazed at the scene in the painting, where Angel and Feng sat together under a large tree, both seated facing each other, smiling and chatting, with a backdrop of the distant night sky and a multitude of stars.
It looked extremely harmonious.
Nami Midori had been with Feng for many years and had never had such a harmonious scene as depicted in the painting.
The harmony Nami Midori referred to was not just about an amicable atmosphere but a sense of equality in status.
In the years spent with Feng, Nami Midori felt more like a student or a seeker of knowledge. Feng, on the other hand, was the embodiment of knowledge.
They were amicable in atmosphere, but not quite equal in communication. Although Nami Midori benefited in the end, as it was the one receiving, it didn’t mean it wished it to be that way.
Nami Midori actually longed for such equal interactions. Only in this way might Feng not look at it as a mischievous junior.
Nami Midori’s gaze gradually shifted to the corner of the painting, where it saw the name of the painting.
Close Friends, Night Talk.
Nami Midori’s eyes lingered on the simple and plain title of the painting, not moving away for a long time.
Its eyes and expression appeared calm, but its heart was stirred by the name of the painting.
Thinking of what Feng had said in the seedling message, Nami Midori seemed to understand why Feng valued Angel so much.
Close friends, really?
Nami Midori slowly looked away and softly said, "The painting is very good."
Angel thought Nami Midori would comment further or say something, but unexpectedly, she simply praised the picture itself.
Casually, Angel replied, "Lord Nami Midori, did you come to see me for something?"
Nami Midori replied indifferently, "I finished looking at the seedlings Mr. Feng left behind, which roughly talked about your situation and the future of the Tidal World."
Nami Midori briefly summarized the messages in the seedlings, where Feng described the current state of the Tidal World and its future possibilities.
Nami Midori also realized that due to the Tidal World’s long-term plundering of external elemental power, its openness was imminent, something even the Tidal World will could not stop.
Angel: "So, Lord Nami Midori, what plans do you have?"
Nami Midori: "I’ve thought about it for a long time. Although I don’t want to get involved in this matter, I was born in the Tidal World, and I have no choice."
"I plan to stay in the Tidal World to help you and your organization completely change the current situation, ushering in a new pattern for the Tidal World."
"This is, in fact, helping ourselves."
Previously, Nami Midori had voiced full support for the opening of the passage between the two worlds, but it was only verbal at the time. Now, Nami Midori’s proactive stance indicated a readiness not just to speak but to take real action.
With Nami Midori, currently the strongest in the Tidal World, siding with the Barbarian Cave, it’s obviously a good thing.
At least, by the time the real opening happens, the Barbarian Cave will already have some advantages.
"I’ll report this matter, and I believe the higher-ups of the Barbarian Cave will be very pleased to learn of your decision."
Nami Midori: "I trust you, and I hope the organization behind you won’t let me down either."
After finishing, Nami Midori prepared to turn and leave.
Watching Nami Midori’s back, Angel suddenly had an idea, "Why not visit the Barbarian Cave, my lord?"
Nami Midori paused, turned her head toward Angel, and asked, "Are you trying to recruit me on behalf of your organization?"
Recruit? Angel had some thoughts, but he couldn’t say that, nor could he bypass Lord Reine’s intentions and truly do it. Moreover, Lord Reine might not even agree to this since, after all, Nami Midori’s strength had reached a half-step Legend level. Even if its knowledge was insufficient, fundamentally, it had reached that level; such a top-tier powerhouse in the Southern Domain could become an unstable factor, even if recruited.
"I just thought you could first get to know the Barbarian Cave. Eventually, you will have to interact with people from the Wizards’ Realm, so why not first engage with wizards from the Barbarian Cave now?"
Nami Midori was moved. It trusted Angel, but it didn’t quite trust the Barbarian Cave since it didn’t understand it. Angel’s suggestion was worth considering, offering a chance to understand the Barbarian Cave’s situation and evaluate if this organization was worth investing in.
However, going directly to their stronghold wasn’t necessarily safe. The current situation in the Tidal World wasn’t fully clear yet.
"That might not be possible now; I won’t be leaving the Tidal World anytime soon," Nami Midori responded.
Angel understood Nami Midori’s concerns and smiled lightly, "You don’t have to leave the Tidal World, just stay in the Lost Forest, and you can still meet people from the Barbarian Cave."